Catching Fire

Last Friday, I went to see Catching Fire, the second movie of the Hunger Games trilogy, with a good friend of mine. We kind of ended up getting there under the wire, as I doubt that the movie will be in theaters for much longer as it has already been playing for a couple of months. When it originally came out, I was extremely busy with college, and I didn't know that I had anyone who would want to go with me. My brother and I went to the first one and neither of us were impressed by it, so I was a little hesitant about this one.

Much to my surprise (and delight) Catching Fire was not only much better than the first movie, but just good in general. The characters were exactly right (my friend and I especially loved the casting of Finnick Odair). Main characters from the first movie became deeper so that I could connect much more with them.The graphics and settings were impressive; this was one aspect with which I was disappointed with the first film. It seemed that with this time around, there may have been a bigger budget as the graphics looked much more real. Though not my favorite composer, James Newton Howard's main musical theme from the first film was re-used. The epic theme fits with the feel of the film. Also positive: the saying "May the odds be ever in your favor" was not overused.

I found that though two and a half hours long, this movie did not drag at all. The pacing, very similar to in the book, worked better than it had in the latter. My thought when it ended was not, "thank goodness!" but that I would like to watch it again.

Looking forward to Mockingjay.

2014 Movie Challenge

Recently I posted my 2013 year review. I did a short review of every movie I saw in theaters last year. That didn't include any other movies which I saw which was probably quite a few! Many of you probably know that I love to watch movies!

Thus, I'm going to put this out there:
Anyone who wants to can suggest a movie I haven't seen that they think I should watch and I will do everything in my power to watch it this year! This is solely for movies already out on DVD. That is, it's a movie you've watched and like, and can't imagine why I haven't watched it yet since it's so good.

After watching each, I will post what I thought of them here on my blog. I promise to be nice and I won't say anything bad about a movie you like!

"The Cowboy from the Past"

Today, we're going to go to 2010, when I wrote this three part story, "The Cowboy from the Past." You're the first to see all three parts at once without having to wait! Congratulations.

                                                           The Cowboy from the Past

Melanie's time machine looked finished.  Little lights of red, yellow, blue, green, and orange blinked here and there.  The metal walls gave out little hollow-sounding noises as Melanie did a final check on the inside.
"Melanie!  What are you doing in there?"
Melanie's older brother, Pete, was pounding at the locked bedroom door.
"Working on my time machine!" Melanie called back.
Pete snickered.
"Whatever you say, Melon," he said, using the nickname his younger sister hated.
Melanie took a deep breath.
"Fine, Squash!" she called back, using the nickname Pete hated.
Melanie took one more look at the time machine's circuit board, and then put the metal panel back on.
"All set," Melanie murmured, taking her tool box and getting out of the machine.
Melanie looked over her time machine with great satisfaction.  The metal door hung open invitingly.
"Well," she said, getting back into the machine, "what am I waiting for?  Time for the real test!"
Melanie pulled the door shut, and fastened it tightly.
Once inside, Melanie pressed the power button.  Instantly, a mechanical noise started up, and roared around her, and the bright green light on the ceiling began flashing with a slight throbbing noise.  The time machine was working.
"Let's see," Melanie said, thinking aloud, "if the time machine works correctly, I should be able to approximate a time in history, and when the sequence is over I'll have a visitor from the past."
Now that it came to this, Melanie hardly knew what time to choose.  She finally decided that it might be interesting to bring back a hippie from the 1960's, but she accidentally pushed the button a few too many times.  It was too late, however--Melanie didn't notice her miscalculation, and pulled the Initiation Lever.  The time machine roared even louder.  Louder, louder, louder--and then the green light, which had been flashing faster and faster, suddenly clicked off.  The smaller lights on the walls, buttons, and levers also went off, and Melanie found herself surrounded by complete darkness.
It didn't take Melanie long to remember, however, that she had programmed the lights to go off when the sequence was almost completed--that way, the visitor didn't have to go through the shock of waking up in a little metal box--at first, they would just see darkness.  Melanie figured that the whole process of bringing someone out of the past depended on how far out of the past the person was coming from.  She guessed that bringing someone out of the 1960's would take something around fifteen minutes, so she was surprised when it seemed as if the sequence was taking longer than this.  Melanie was beginning to be afraid that the time machine didn't work, when suddenly she heard a lot of grumbling on the other side of the machine.
"I reckon' I musta hit my head on somethin'," the voice said.
It sounded like a man.  Melanie kept completely still and quiet so she wouldn't frighten the visitor.  He sure didn't sound like a hippie.  He sounded more like a...a...
"Where has that gosh-darn pistol gotten to?" the voice said.
Cowboy?
Of course! Melanie realized.  She must have pressed the button a few too many times, and brought someone further out of the past than the 1960's--and it seemed as if she'd ended up bringing up a cowboy back with her.  Oh well, Melanie thought.  A cowboy should be interesting.
"Where in tarnation am I?" said the voice.  "And what's that gosh-darned noise?  Sounds like a mochine."
The voice kept making comments as the lights came back on, dim at first, but getting brighter and brighter until...
"Holy smokes!  Where am I?" said the cowboy, for a cowboy he was.
The cowboy looked around, and then spotted Melanie, sitting with her back against the wall of the time machine, her arms wrapped around her knees.  Melanie stared back at him.  An awkward silence followed.
Finally, the cowboy said, "Howdy."
"Um, howdy," Melanie said.
The cowboy pointed at the wall of the time machine.
"What in tarnation is this thing?" he asked.
Melanie found herself in a tight spot.  The cowboy would never believe her if she told him it was a time machine, but what else was there to say?
"It's a time machine." she said.
The cowboy stared at her.  The time machine suddenly made a huge BUMP!.  Then, the roar in the machine slowly became quieter until suddenly, the noise just shut off.  Melanie got up, and, unfastening the latches on the door, let it swing open into her bedroom.
"Welcome to the 21st Century," she said.


                                                                                 ***
Melanie stepped out into her bedroom, followed by the very confused cowboy. 
"What do yer mean, 21st Century?" he asked, looking around the bedroom.
"This is the year 2010," Melanie explained, pointing to her calendar.
The cowboy froze.  Melanie hoped she hadn't given him a heart attack.
"What do yer mean, 2010?" he asked.
"I mean 2010," Melanie said, "you know, in the 21st Century?"
The cowboy was looking more confused by the second.
"Do yer mean that we've gone forward in time?" the cowboy asked.
"Well, sort of," Melanie said.  "Actually, for me, this is present day.  But we have come to the future from your time."
The cowboy sank down onto Melanie's bed.
"That just plain dun't make any sense," he said.  "How could I have come into this here, what you call, 'future'?"
"Well," Melanie said, "I made a time machine."
The cowboy looked dejectedly up at her.  His big black moustache seemed to droop.
"Well, that dun't explain it," he said.
Melanie sighed, and picked up a binder from her desk.
"See, look, these are the plans for my time machine." she said, opening up the binder and showing him.
"Ya know," the cowboy said, "ya keep on sayin' time mochine, but it don't make sense to me.  What's a time mochine?"
Melanie smiled.
"It's a machine that allows you to travel to a different time," she explained.
The cowboy was completely lost.
"You mean like it's high noon when I ride into town, but by the time I get to the saloon it's after high noon?" the cowboy asked.
"No," Melanie said, "it's...well, I don't think I can explain it to you...I don't think you'd understand."
"Well then, lemme see if I can git you straight," he said.  "Yer sayin' that this here time mochine transported me from my own time."
"Yes," Melanie said, nodding.
The cowboy shook his head.
"That's real crazy," he said.
Conversation dwindled for a few minutes.  Melanie looked at her feet, trying to think of something to say, and the cowboy took his pistol out of its holster and inspected it.  Finally, he slipped the pistol back into its holster, and looked up at her.
"What's your name, Ma'am?" he asked her.
"My name's Melanie," Melanie said.
"Melanie," the cowboy said slowly and contemplatively.  "Real purtty."
"Thanks," Melanie said.  "What's your name?"
"Weeeell, lemme see now." the cowboy said.  "I reckon you can just call me Ted."
"Oh, OK," Melanie said.  "Are you hungry, Ted?"
"I reckon so," Ted replied.  "Haven't had nothin' to eat since...well, I dun't even remember."
"Then let's go get something to eat," Melanie said.  "I'm hungry, too."
Melanie led the way out of her bedroom and down the hall, towards the staircase.
"You got a real nice house, Melanie," Ted said.  "Rather peculiar though, if you don't mind my sayin' so."
Melanie laughed.
"I'm sure it does seem peculiar to  you," she said.
Melanie led the way into the kitchen.  She made a couple of sandwiches.
"I hope you like peanut butter and jelly," she said to Ted.
"I reckon it'll be fine," Ted replied.  "Never heard of puttin' peanuts and butter between bread, though."
"Oh," Melanie said, "no, it's peanut butter.  The peanuts are ground up."
"And I guess mixed into butter," Ted said, looking at his sandwich.
Melanie sighed and gave up trying to explain.
"This is a mighty good...what do ya call it?" Ted asked.
"A sandwich," Melanie said.
Ted laughed.
"You put sand in there, too, eh?"
"No..." Melanie said, "there's no--"
But Ted wasn't listening anymore.  He was staring out of the kitchen window.
"Who is that there young fella out there, on that nag?" he asked.
Melanie looked where Ted was pointing.
"That's my brother, Pete.  Looks like he's riding his horse."
"Ridin'?" Ted said disgustedly.  "More like sittin' and hangin' on!  I've gotta go and set him to rights."
Ted ran towards the back door.  Melanie leaped up after him.
"No, wait, Ted!" she cried.  "Wait!"
Pete was in the pasture, cantering his horse, a big bay gelding named Loophole.  Melanie didn't know for sure how much her parents had paid for Loophole, but she knew it had been a lot--Loophole was no nag, that was for sure. 
Ted ran up to the fence and leaped over it.  Pete saw the cowboy running towards him and his eyes widened.  Then he saw Melanie, running at top-speed, after the cowboy.
"Melanie, what the heck is going on?" Pete yelled.
He slowed Loophole to a trot, and Ted ran up and grabbed the horse's bridle.
"You git down, you young rascal," Ted commanded.
Pete frowned down at Ted.  "Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm Ted." the cowboy said.  "I've just come to the...what do you folks call it?  The 'future'."
Pete looked at Melanie, who had just run up.  Melanie gasped for breath.
"My time machine, Pete!" she said finally, grinning up at her brother.
"Yep, I came here in a time mochine.  Real crazy." Ted said.
The three of them looked at each other.  Ted was still gripping Loophole's bridle.
"So," Ted said finally, "ya gonna git down or am I gonna halfta pull ya off?"
"What do you mean?" Pete said.
"I'm gonna show ya a thing er two about ridin'." Ted said, glaring at Pete.  "You gotta get straightened out about a few things."
Pete looked to Melanie for support.  Melanie just shrugged.
"Git down," Ted said.
Pete sighed and dismounted Loophole.  Ted threw his cowboy boot into the stirrup, and swung himself onto Loophole's back with incredible ease.  However, as soon as he was seated, Ted looked confused.
"What are these strange things ya use on yer hoss?" he asked. 
Pete gave Melanie a sideways glance.
"Um...a saddle and bridle," he said.
Ted laughed.
"Ya gotta be kiddin' me," he said.  "These pitiful things here can't be no saddle and bridle."
Pete threw up his hands.
"Well, never mind," Ted said, "I reckon these'll do...for now."
Ted nudged his spurs into Loophole's sides and yelled, "Git goin' now, hoss!"
Loophole was frightened and confused.  He shot forward like a bullet.
"Would you mind telling me where in the world that crazy guy came from?" Pete asked Melanie.
"Out West." Melanie said.
                                                                        ***
"Ted," Melanie said, gently but firmly, "you really frightened Loophole.  What were you trying to do?"
It had taken a lot of convincing on Melanie's part to talk Ted into getting off of Pete's horse.  Now, as Ted stood in front of her, adjusting his cowboy hat and grinning broadly, Melanie realized with some sadness that she should probably get Ted back to his own time as soon as possible.
"I were jus' showing that young scoundrel how to ride his hoss," Ted explained.  "I hope ya don't mind my sayin' so, Miss Melanie, but yer brother is real bad at ridin'."
Melanie couldn't help smiling at this.  Pete liked to talk about how his riding was always improving, and it was a nice change to hear a different opinion for once, whether Ted was right or not.  Melanie really didn't know, as she had never paid much attention to her brother's hobby, and didn't know much about riding.  She was more interested in inventing.
"Ted, let's go inside," Melanie said.  "I think we'd better--"
"What's that there thang, there?" Ted ask, elbowing Melanie and pointing.
What now?, Melanie thought, but followed Ted's finger. 
"Oh," Melanie said, "that's my dad's truck."
"Truck?" Ted said, slowly, scratching his head.
"Yeah, it's a car...oh, wait a minute." Melanie thought for a moment.  "You know," she said finally, "how in your time, most people use horses to get around?"
"Some of them use them pufferbellies, too," Ted said, nodding.
"What?" Melanie asked.
"Don't ya have pufferbellies in yer time?" Ted asked.  "You know, them long metal thangs pulled by iron horses."
"Iron...oh, trains?" Melanie asked.
"I reckon'," Ted said.
"Well," Melanie said, "...wait, what were we talking about?...Oh yeah.  In our time, we use a lot of cars, like my dad's truck over there."
"Is it anythang like a train?" Ted asked.  "It sure looks kinda like one."
"I guess you could say it's kind of like a train," Melanie said.  "Come on, I'll show it to you."
Ted eyed the truck rather suspiciously as they neared it. 
"It's not goin' to move, is it?" he asked Melanie, walking very cautiously towards the truck.
"Don't worry, it's not on," Melanie said.
Melanie opened the driver's door and got into the truck.  She moved over to the passenger's seat. 
"Come on," she said, "get in."
Ted very carefully climbed into the truck.
"What are these thangs?" he asked, pointing to the keys dangling from the ignition.
"Those are my dad's keys," Melanie explained.  "The one in the slot, there, turns on the truck, if you turn it."
Ted shook his head.  "Real crazy."
They sat silent for a few moments.
"Well," Melanie said, "should we get out?  I think it's about time we--"
Ted turned the key.  The engine roared to life.
"Holy smokes!  Sounds a bit like your time mochine, eh?" Ted hollered.
He grinned at Melanie.
"Uh, yeah," Melanie said nervously, "but, Ted, speaking of my time machine--"
"How does this thang move?" Ted asked.
"Ted," Melanie yelled over the harsh grind of the engine, "turn off the truck!"
"How do I do that?" Ted yelled back.
"Turn the key back towards you!" Melanie screamed.
There was nothing more frightening than being in a running truck with a cowboy behind the wheel.
Ted obediently turned the key.
The engine went off.
Melanie sighed with relief.
"I think it's about time we get you back home, Ted," she said.
"Home?" Ted said.  "Ya mean, back to lil' Silver Corner?"
"Yes," Melanie said.
Ted thought for a moment.
"Well," he said, "it's been a real pleasure visitin' your time here in the 21st Century, but I reckon' you're right.  It's time to go home."
Melanie nodded.  She hesitated for a second, and then grabbed Ted's hand.  They made their way up to the house and back into Melanie's bedroom.
Melanie opened the time machine door, and Ted climbed in.  She climbed in after him, and fastened the door shut, as she had before.
"It's been a real pleasure gettin' to know ya, Melanie," Ted said, nodding politely at Melanie, and shaking her hand.
"You too, Ted," Melanie replied.
Melanie pressed the power button.  The time machine came to life in an instant.  Melanie pulled a lever.  Louder and louder the time machine roared, and faster and faster blinked the green light.  Then, suddenly, all went dark.

The Sort of Old Archives: "How and Where Did the Dragon Get Its Name?"

Since I'm on winter break right now, I've been trying to post more on my blog for all of you. I thought you might enjoy some old writing of mine. Here is another addition to The Sort of Old Archives (see labels at the bottom of the post for more writing under this heading).
Here is a story from 2009, "How and Where Did the Dragon Get its Name?"

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a king.  A king with a very large castle.  A king with a beautiful crown.  A king who had power over all the lands his eyes could reach.  He wasn't a bad king, however.  This king was kind.  He was a king with great power, but a king with unlimited goodness.  His name was Good King Sebastion.  Good King Sebastion, or, King Sebastion, as I will be calling him, because it's much less awkward when one has to write it so many times, (although other people in the story will be calling him by his full title), was kind to people and animals alike.  He was kind to plants and trees.  All of his people loved him. 

Now, one day, King Sebastion recieved news that a man had just come into one of the villages near the castle, and was speaking badly of him. 
"Go get this man," King Sebastion ordered his messenger gently. 
"Yes, Sire," the messenger said, and went off to fetch the man who had been speaking so rudely of the kind king. 
A little while later the messenger came back; two guards followed the messenger, holding onto the man they had brought in. 
"Untie the man's hands," King Sebastion said to his guards.
"Yes, your Majesty, Good King Sebastion," one of them said, and the other nodded.
The guards quickly did as they were told, and left the throne room. 
"Now then," King Sebastion said, as the door closed behind the two guards, "what is your name, Good Sir?"
The messenger looked surprised.  King Sebastion didn't notice; he was watching the man closely.
The man spoke up bravely, for a brave man he was.
"Richard," he answered.
"Now then, Richard," King Sebastion said, "I have heard that you were speaking badly of me in one of my villages."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I was," Richard confessed, without any hesitation.
"I am wondering why."  King Sebastion said.  "I am kind to people, and animals, and plants, and trees, and I am wondering what it was that I did to you to deserve this.  Please tell me, so that I can set all to rights."
Richard was surprised.  He hadn't expected the king to be as good and kind as people had said he was.
"Well, Sire, may I have permission to speak freely?"  Richard asked.
King Sebastion nodded.
"Permission granted."  He agreed.
"Thank you, King Sebastion, Sire."  Richard said.  "Many years ago, I lived in that village where I was just now."
King Sebastion nodded again.
"Then one day, the other people of the village decided I was guilty of a crime I hadn't commited.  They wouldn't listen to an innocent man's pleas...they banished me from the village."
"How terrible."  King Sebastion said.
Richard nodded in agreement.
"I wandered around and lived in different places for a while, and then finally came back to my home village where I was greeted with scorn.  The people still remember me and they still think I commited the crime.  Well, I couldn't stand being accused any longer, and I began to speak rashly of you to get back at them."
"Aaaah, I see."  King Sebastion said.
"My greatest apologies to you, King Sebastion.  I can see that you are really as great and good and kind a king as your villagers said you are."
"My sincerest thanks.  I forgive you, Richard.  I do not believe in harsh punishment, but I would like you to solve a puzzle for me."
"Yes Sire, whatever it is, I will find the answer."  Richard promised.
"If you are able to solve it within a week's time, I will clear your name, and you may live once more in the village you love."
"Oh, my sincerest thanks to you, Good King Sebastion!"  Richard cried joyously, "but what is this puzzle?"
"Come back tomorrow at this time, and I will tell you."  King Sebastion promised.  "In the meantime, I will have one of my servants show you to a spare room.  I will make sure you get meals, and please feel free to wander around the public areas of the castle."
"Thank you, King Sebastion," Richard said, and he bowed, and then left with King Sebastion's servant. 

King Sebastion got out of his throne and stepped over to his favorite window of the throne room.  He sat in the wooden chair he had had put there long ago, at the start of his reign, and gazed out of the window, deep in thought.  He looked out over his lands.  Hours passed.  Soon it was time for supper, and King Sebastion still sat, thinking hard.  Finally, as the sun began to sink, he came up with the puzzle he would have Richard solve.  Out of the window, down below, he saw a strange creature.  It was sitting at the edge of the wood.  The creature was big.  It was bigger than three small village houses put together.  It was of a bright green hue: the color of healthy, lush grass.  As King Sebastion stared at it, he thought he saw that the creature had wings: great green wings of a strange shape.  The scaley creature's mean gaze, the spikes down its back and tail, and its non-retractable claws all looked terrifying.  King Sebastion, however, was not scared: he was completely captivated.  He had never seen the likes of this strange animal before. 
"Guards!"  He called.
The two guards who had been stationed just outside the throne room came hurrying in.
"Yes, Sire?"  One of them asked.
"Look at that strange creature out the window," King Sebastion commanded. 
The guards peered cautiously out.
"Sire, what a terrifying creature, Sire!"  One of them cried.
"Yes, Sire, yes!"  Agreed the other.
"Calm down, Good Sirs, calm down."  King Sebastion said gently.  "I want that creature to be caught right away."
"Then you want it to be killed?"  Asked one of the guards.
"Oh, goodness no, no, no," King Sebastion cried.  "I want it to be brought into the castle."
"That is pure madness!"  One of King Sebastion's guards burst out.
"Yes, Sire, pure madness!"  Agreed the other guard.  "Have you gone purely mad, Sire?"
King Sebastion laughed.
"No, no," he told them.  "I need that creature for something."
The guards looked at one another.
"Very well, Your Majesty."  One of the guards finally said.
"We will do as you wish, Good King Sebastion," agreed the other.
"Thank you.  Make sure that it is kept under control inside the castle, and that it has its own guard--and don't chain it up!  I believe in being kind to animals."
The guards promised to do all King Sebastion had commanded, and left, muttering softly to each other.
"Pure madness, pure madness..."  Said one.
"I agree, pure madness...pure madness...absolute pure madness."  Said the other.
King Sebastion didn't hear any of this.  He got up from his chair and went to have supper.

The next afternoon, Richard came into the throne room to meet with the King.
"Oh good, you've come, Richard."  King Sebastion said, smiling at him.
"Yes, King Sebastion, I have."  Richard said.  "I would like to know the puzzle I am to solve.  By the way, Sire, I noticed you have a dragon out there in the courtyard."
"A what?"  King Sebastion asked.
"Why, a dragon," Richard said. 
"Did you come up with that?"  King Sebastion asked.  "For I have never seen anything like that creature out there."
"Neither have I," Richard said.
"Then how--?"  King Sebastion said, greatly confused.
"Well, as I was coming over to the throne room, I see the creature wandering around in the circle of armed guards, and I say to myself, 'well,' I said, 'look at that; I've never seen the likes of it, but look how it drags its tail on,' and I thought, 'ah hah!  That's what I shall think of this creature as: a drag-on."
"You have solved the puzzle," King Sebastion said in amazement.
"I have?"  Richard said, "but, your Majesty, I don't even know what it is yet, and it hasn't been a week."
"Neither of those matter anymore, Richard," King Sebastion said hurriedly, "because the puzzle was to think up a name for that creature out there."
Richard stood there, dumb-struck, for a few seconds.
"You mean...I've solved the puzzle?"  He asked.
"Yes, indeed, Richard, my friend!"  King Sebastion cried happily.
I'm sure this was only the beginning of King Sebastion's adventures with a new creature known as a 'dragon'.
THE END




Tomorrow, look for a three part story, "The Cowboy from the Past."

2013: Looking Back

I'll bet you're all shocked that I'm posting. Preciosa and I decided to both write year review posts for our blogs (her blog is Really Kool Posts), figuring that the most shocking thing that could happen would be for us to post on both blogs!

Whether you are interested or not, here are my highlights of 2013.

January: Lots of fun times with family because I was on winter break from school. Starting late in the month, I began my second semester as a freshman. I took four classes, and Women's Choir (Creative Writing, Short Story, Introductory Sociology, Everyday Gender and Sexuality, my first Women's Studies class). This remains my favorite semester thus far in my college career, though as with all semesters, it had its frustrations.

February/March: I really don't think anything of note happened to me other than going to school.

April: interviewed for a job at my school (at an ice cream parlor) and got the job! This was during Spring break, and I was overjoyed to have gotten a job for the upcoming summer. The end of April to the beginning of May was spent finishing the semester and training for my new job.

May: Successfully finished my freshman year of college but didn't get any less busy because this is when my summer job really kicked up. Starting in May, everybody who's anybody wants ice cream, and they want it now. I quickly discovered in working with the public that this can be a tall order. I began to learn to scoop more quickly and efficiently; yes, there is an art to scooping ice cream.

June: Kept working, but what was fun about this month was that my best friend Preciosa came to visit! She was even here for my 19th birthday. We had so much fun together, going places, watching movies, and just plain hanging out! I was so sad when the visit was over and hope to see her again before too long! As far as turning 19 goes, it's a kind of crazy feeling! The party my family and friends threw me was awesome, though.

July: Hardly had time for anything but working throughout the rest of June and July, and work just got busier and busier as it got hotter. At work, we changed the system from ordering ice cream and then paying, to ordering and paying at the same time. It was a way better system for everybody in the long run, but a lot of people got really ticked off. Some would ask us if the new system really was better, and when we answered in the affirmative, they would still be very unconvinced. That's just the way it goes!

In the second half of July, my mom and I took our second trip to Peru, though, if I really want to go into detail on this, I should probably write this trip its own posts. In short, it was a good trip and great to see all our friends again and make new ones, too.

August: More ice cream. Work got busier. And busier. And, oh, busier. My last day of my summer job was the day before I started back at class as a sophomore. I am unsure whether I will go back to this job or if I will do something different; I kind of want to work at the Women's Center at my school.

The Fall 2013 semester started at the end of August, with a full roster of classes, and Women's Chorus: American Literature, Poetry, Problem Solving, Feminisms and the Arts, and Literary Studies.

September/October: School. School. School.

November: School, and an amazing Thanksgiving break spent with family and friends.

December: Finals! That was a crazy time! I did my very best and then happily began my Christmas break, full of preparations and fun with family and friends. I went to two movies in December, both of which were good and fun!

This brings me to the movies of 2013. I went to a total of five; here they are in order of not so great to really good, according to me:

5. Star Trek: Into Darkness (May 2013): Mostly just explosions and people getting into various kinds of grotesquely violent altercations. Not Star Trek.

4. Les Miserables (January 2013): I hate to put it so far down the list, so close to the Star Trek movie. In actuality, this movie was pretty good and this musical has some great music (though not all of it was given its due justice by some of the singers). This movie did have some amazing aspects to it; visually, it was an extremely beautiful, particularly on the big screen. Though, I liked it much better the second time around.

3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 2013): I liked this movie, though I thought the first Hobbit was better. I was disappointed by the lack of musical themes which Howard Shore had composed for the first movie; the main heroic theme in Unexpected Journey was gone from this Hobbit movie. However, the characters were right on again and I liked the addition of the elf Tauriel, who in terms of female characters in the LOTR and Hobbit movies combined, is almost as cool as Eowyn and definitely better than Arwen. The barrel scene was great and Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins carries on the tradition of thoroughly lovable hobbits.

2. Gravity (October 2013): I had difficulty deciding whether this one should be #1 or not. This movie captivated me. It is well-made and has an intense story. I saw it in 3D and it is the best 3D movie I've ever seen. In this case, the technology definitely did work to create a fuller experience. My main problem with this movie is that I don't think it will be enjoyable to watch without a big screen and 3D technology. However, with these two aspects, to experience this movie is an amazing thing and I think even without them, the story is exciting and captivating, and powerful.

1. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (December 2013): this movie earned top space because it is the first entirely enjoyable movie I've gone to in a long time. It's been quite a while since I just sat down and watched a film like this, just an enjoyable story with no grotesque violence or incessant swearing and excessively steamy romances. This was just a great story and very well-made to grab your attention and keep it.

Though I have numbered these movies in terms of how much I liked them, I would recommend all of them except for Star Trek, particularly if, like me, you are a fan of the real Star Trek. The other four movies are definitely worth a watch, depending on your own personal movie preferences.

Happy 2014, everyone. I hope the new year is full of great things (and great movies) for you.