My niece Aymee invited Corey and me to see Eclipse with her.  One of her friend’s cousins rented out a theater for the occasion.  But … they rented it at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, June 29, six and a half hours before the official release of the movie.  I’d never been to an advance showing of a movie before so I jumped at the chance to go!

Aymee’s husband Dave was supposed to come with us, but he had to go to San Francisco for work so one of Aymee’s friends, Karen, joined us.  Corey kind of felt out of place at the movie, but I think he still enjoyed himself … for the most part.  He said he wanted more blood.

I enjoyed Eclipse a lot and not just because I didn’t have stay up until the crack of dawn to see it.  It was a lot of fun to sit next to Aymee.  We’d whisper things to each other, particularly making fun of a certain vampire’s hair.  I got a few elbows in the ribs from Corey, but we were surprisingly a lot quieter than a lot of the people around us or in the theater.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie.  I thought it was a good adaptation of the book and the best of the three so far.  There were some changes that I didn’t like, and I thought Jackson Rathbone’s (aka Jasper) wig was hideous!  His wig was much better in New Moon and I wish the movie makers would’ve kept that one.  I also didn’t like the way Nikki Reed looked in the flashback about how Rosalie became a vampire.  I didn’t think it suited Nikki; she just didn’t look right to me.  Also, the wedding ring in the movie is the ugliest ring I have ever seen in my life!  The ring approved by Stephenie Meyer for Infinite Jewelry is much prettier!  I loved all the additions of the scenes alluded to in the book but that Bella doesn’t witness (e.g. the Cullens and wolves chasing Victoria while Bella and Edward were in Jacksonville, the goings on of the newborns in Seattle, and the view into the fight with the Cullens instead of just the one with Edward and Victoria).  I loved Xavier Samuel, who played Riley.  After the movie, I told Aymee that he would’ve been a better Edward. I also loved Charlie.  Billy Burke is fantastic as Charlie!  Watching the Great Dog Snog was just as painful on the screen as it was/is when I read it in the book.  Not only because I hate the idea of Bella with Jacob, but because I know what’s coming in the fourth book.

I was extremely happy that my favorite scenes made it in the movie and remained pretty much untouched as well.  It kind of makes up for the abomination of the meadow scene in the Twilight movie.  My favorite scenes include the kiss, not the Great Dog Snog, but the kiss.  I’m sure you know the one I mean. I loved the tent scene.  It was perfect!  The talk between Charlie and Bella about sex was more hilarious on the screen than it was in my imagination when I read the book.  I loved it!  My favorite scene by far is when Bella punches Jacob in the face and breaks (sprains in the movie) her hand.  It was so funny, and it was portrayed well.

I’m looking forward to seeing the movie again and picking up the little things I missed the first time around.  I also want to re-read the books again, and I’m considering putting off all the books on my to read list just to bump up the Twilight Saga to the number one spot.

Last Friday, Corey and I went up to my niece Aymee’s place so her sister, my other niece Carlee, could do our hair early Saturday morning.  This happened to coincide with the release of the New Moon DVD.  I wasn’t planning on going to a release party because the movies don’t interest me that much.  However, Aymee’s friend asked if Aymee wanted to go so Aymee asked me if I wanted to go with them.  I told her I was fine either way; I just wanted to spend time with her.  At the last minute, Aymee’s friend decided not to go because she was too tired to stay up that late.  (She’s pregnant.)  Because Aymee and I were still up and already planning to go, we still went.

We found out that the Walmart we were going to was the same Walmart three of the actors–Michael Welch (Mike Newton), Justin Chon (Eric Yorkie), and Christian Serratos (Angela Webber)–were coming to for the release.  When we got to Walmart about 30 minutes before midnight, the parking lot was completely full! We should’ve known better with the craziness of the fans.  The autograph line was so long we would’ve been there until at least 4:00 am so we decided just to get in line for the DVD.

When the actors came out, I decided to see if I could get close enough to get a few pictures of them.  Thanks to the awesome zoom on my new camera, I was able to get a pretty good shot of each of them.

The next morning, Carlee came over to do our hair.  When the doorbell rang, I heard Aubree, one of Aymee and Dave’s daughters, yell, “Aunt Cha!” and then run down the stairs to get the door.  It was really funny and cute.  (Aubree’s almost three.  If you ask her when her birthday is, she says in one breath, “I’ll-be-three-May-8th-I’m-going-to-the-beach-for-my-birthday-to-swim-in-the-water.”  It’s so funny because she gets so excited about it!)

The last time Carlee did my hair, she cut it in a way that I could scrunch it enough to give the illusion that I have naturally curly hair.  Unfortunately, that ability didn’t last very long because my hair is very stubborn, straighter than straight, and became heavier and less willing to scrunch as it grew.  (See picture of Aymee and me above for verification.)

I asked Carlee if there was a perm that would let me have nice curls without looking like a poodle.  She told me a new perm had just come out.  It’s called the beach wave and it uses foam blocks instead of standard perming rods.  The result is a natural, very loose curl.  Aymee and I volunteered to be Carlee’s guinea pigs so she could try it out.  You may think I was brave to be a guinea pig, but I knew it wouldn’t turn out badly.  In fact, the worst case scenario was that it wouldn’t work at all.  Luckily, it did work and turned out great!  I think it’s the best perm I’ve ever had because I don’t look like I have perm at all.

PS–Don’t forget to click the “Subscribe to this post’s comments” link so you’re notified when I (or even someone else) replies.  (Click here for instructions if you need them.)

My niece Megan posted the Eclipse movie trailer on her blog.  I didn’t think it was available on the Internet until tomorrow, but I guess I was wrong.  Anyway, enjoy!

I posted this on the forum I share with my friends. But, I wanted a broader range of opinion on my musings so I decided to blog about it too.

I know some of you aren’t as gung ho about Twilight anymore (or never were for that matter).  I understand completely because I’m not nearly as obsessed with it as I was anymore either.  I still have a soft spot for the saga because it ignited my love for reading and gave me amazing opportunities–most importantly the friendships I’ve made and still have two and a half years later.

I do still enjoy the anticipation of the movies, even if/when they don’t meet my expectations. And, I would also love to spend time with Stephenie Meyer on a more personal level if that opportunity ever became available.  But, the only reason I think about Twilight now (if I even do) is because someone (or something) mentions it in passing (or when reading another book).  And, the only reason I’m thinking so much about it now is because I’m listening to Twilight on audiobook at work right now.

I don’t feel a huge drive to read the books anymore, but that’s mostly because I have so many others I want to read.  However, I’ve noticed that when I still take the time to read (or listen to) Twilight, I still get that giddy feeling I felt when I read it for the first time.  That feeling isn’t nearly as strong as it was the first time because the mystery is gone now, but for some reason this story speaks to me.

I still find myself comparing other books to Twilight when I read them and I know it must get old for some people.  I don’t compare the stories because they’re all so individual and I don’t always compare writing (sometimes it’s inevitable), but I do compare feelings.  I don’t mean to, but for some reason if two characters have the same chemistry, angst, tension, etc. that Bella and Edward (or even Bella and Jacob) had, then I seem to be drawn to them much more.  There’s just something about that type of chemistry that makes a good story in my opinion.  (Some of the books I’ve recently read with those same feelings are The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare, and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.)

Anyway, I have an onslaught of questions I’d like to ask you because I want to see how different or the same we are.  I know there are a lot, but I would appreciate it if you took the time to answer them.

1. Do you ever do the same thing, meaning compare books to Twilight or another series that has meant a lot to you?
2. Are there any books that seem to just speak to you?
3. Why do you enjoy reading as much as you do?  Or, what do you hope to get out of reading?

For those that are/were Twilight fans:

1. How do you feel about Twilight now that all the hype (other than the movies) has died down?
2. For those of you that had a hard time with Breaking Dawn, did it change your opinion of the entire saga so you can’t enjoy it as much as you did?  Or, do you just ignore Breaking Dawn and/or enjoy it for what it is?
3. Did the whole Midnight Sun fiasco (whether you view it as a black mark against the fans or a black mark against Stephenie Meyer) change the way you feel about the saga?
4. Do you hope Stephenie Meyer continues to write?
5. Do you just wish Twilight would die so you never have to hear about it again?

PS–I just realized that it may sound like I won’t like a book if it’s not like Twilight.  That’s not the case at all.  I just meant that if the feelings between characters are similar, then I’m more drawn to that kind of story.  And, the only reason I compare most things to Twilight is because it was the first time I experienced those types of feelings while reading a book.

Happy birthday, Caryn!

I decided I needed to post something uplifting on my blog to lighten the mood. Anyway, last Friday, I went to a party with my friends.  We decided to have a gift exchange, eat yummy food, and just enjoy each other’s company.

When we walked into the party, we noticed a cardboard stand-up of Taylor Lautner, the actor who portrays Jacob Black in the movies.  My friends Christie and Cami bought it for Danylle because she loves Jacob Black.  They even wrote a fun poem to go with him.

I had my second experience with a cracker since Danylle gave each of us one.  I got another green hat, but my friend Sue was kind enough to trade me.  It might have something to do with the fact that she hates purple. I also got a yo-yo in it and a joke.  “Q: Where do sick gnomes go?  A: To the Elf Centre.”

We had Cafe Rio style salads with real Cafe Rio tortillas and dressing.  It was really yummy!  But, we always have good food at our parties.  Christie found an ice cream cake decorated like New Moon so she bought it for the party.  It was very neat!  The things you can do with cakes.

After dinner, we had a gift exchange.  It was lots of fun.  It seemed that everyone was in sync with who they were giving to because everyone loved their gifts.  My friend Luisa had me and I never dreamed she’d get me the thing I wanted the most for Christmas–a slanket! I’ve already put it to good use at work because the air conditioner blows right on me.

The party was a lot of fun.  Cami and Christie did a wonderful job of putting it together!  I love these women so much and I’m so glad they’re my friends.  I look forward to another year of great fun!

I have now seen New Moon twice and it’s better than Twilight for all the reasons Twilight bugged a lot of the fans and non-fans.  The special effects are better, the acting is better, the adaptation is better, and all the little nuances are better.  For example, I loved that Victoria’s hair is actually red instead of strawberry blond.  The sparkling was done better too, which definitely added to the story since that’s a part that most fans love.

I actually only have four complaints about the movie, but they’re super small, which is a miracle. The first, what the heck did they have Alice wearing throughout that entire movie?  Her outfits were so unflattering and made her look frumpy.  The second, the circling around Bella’s room during the months she was a zombie made me car sick.  The third, the new Volvo.  It’s not silver.  The fourth, the flashback with the old Volvo added to the inconsistency with the new Volvo.  However, all of these complaints are made better with the addition of Jacob’s smoking pecs, abs, and hip dents!

I didn’t get a chance to go to a midnight showing.  I decided to be responsible and go to bed so I could go to work the next morning.  (However, I didn’t end up getting to sleep until 4:00 am on Thursday night anyway because of the antibiotics I’m taking. Grrr!)  But, I’m glad I waited so I could go with my niece Megan.  We had fun at the movie together, which made all the difference.  (Pardon the pictures.  They were taken with my crappy phone camera.)

On Saturday, I went to the Twilight Lexicon New Moon Movie Event with my friend Ali.  Corey and I hang out with the Vigues all the time, but I’ve never really just hung out with Ali.  It was a lot of fun to go to the movie together and we’ve decided to hang out with just the two of us more often.  (Also, if you’re wondering, neither Ali nor I won any of the raffle prizes.  We’ve decided we’re just unlucky.)

It was fun to see the movie with all my other friends too.  We have so much fun together and we always look forward to our get togethers.  This time around, it was a little crazy because we were trying to help Lori and Laura with everything for the movie event, but it was still good to see them and all of our out-of-town friends too.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing the movie a third time next week with my in-laws.  And, I’m actually trying to talk Corey into seeing it tomorrow.

All you Twilight haters need to see New Moon because it’s better.  It also captures the essence of the Twilight Saga almost perfectly so you’ll understand better why the fans enjoy the stories so much.  Plus, there’s a lot more action for you manly men.

Happy birthday, Anna!

As most of you know, I’m a member of the Twilight Lexicon and have had a lot of fun with the website owners.  The Twilight Lexicon is the oldest, continuous operating Stephenie Meyer fansite on the Internet and the owners are hosting a New Moon Movie Event in Utah on Saturday, November 21.  The party’s going to be tons of fun and they still have seats.

The cost is $25 and for that price, you get:

• Admission to the New Moon movie
• A commemorative, canvas goody bag filled with theme merchandise
• A chance to win fabulous door prizes

Some of the door prizes you’ll have a chance to win are:

• A prop used on the set of New Moon
• 2 Gold Weekend Passes to the Creation Entertainment Official Twilight Tour
• Merchandise from Borders and Hot Topic
• Autographed items by the cast members and Stephenie Meyer

The event is being held at the Megaplex 20 at the District.  To order tickets or if you have questions, e-mail them at lexiconutahmovie@gmail.com.  In your e-mail, state your name, and the number of tickets you need.  They will send you a reply listing who to make the check/money order out to, the exact time of the performance, and where to send your self-addressed, stamped envelope so you can receive your tickets.  (Tickets are non-refundable and will not be sold at the door.)

Anyway, I hope to see you there!