"Live in the Moments"

Any movie lovers reading this blog? If so let me tell you that Redbox is one of the best things ever invented. It's simple to use, easy, and unless you live where I do, lines are null and void. After waiting five minutes, it was my turn to check out the movie selection. Now, I am not a one of these Robert Pattinson obsessed fans, mainly because I haven't been that impressed with his acting in the Twilight series movies (which makes me a little mad because I'm a huge fan of the books), and quite honestly, he's not all that hot. However, I rented the movie "Remember Me" starring Rob Pat. and I thought, maybe, just maybe the acting wouldn't suck and it would be a decent movie. To my surprise Rob Pat can indeed act and there is a slight possibility that I actually find him somewhat hot now. But that is besides the point, "Remember Me" is a really intriguing, emotional love/drama that will leave anyone shocked by it's ending. The movie score is amazing as well.

With that being said, if you have not watched this movie and think that in the near future you will want to watch this movie, stop reading now...because I'm about to throw out a lot of SPOILERS and rant just a little. So if you don't want to see it(even through you really should), keep reading. But if you do STOP READING NOW

"Remember Me" takes place in 2001 and we are introduced to Tyler Hawkins (aka Rob Pattinson) whose life has been struck with the tragic loss of his older brother. He has an amazing relationship with his sister, Caroline and often is her backbone and main supporter. He has a loser for a father who really doesn't want anything to do with Tyler or his sister and is a workaholic businessman in New York. Tyler has his issues and gets involved with an altercation with a police officer. This throws a kink in his life, and his best friend convinces him to ask the police officer's daughter, Ally, out on a date. Well as you can guess, this date turns into a serious relationship and the poo hits the fan when she finds out why he asked her out in the first place. Now here is where I get mad. Throughout the whole movie, the father has nothing to do with the daughter or his son, but recent events has apparently made him have a change of heart and wants to be present in their lives. So Tyler and Ally have made up, their relationship is good, and Tyler leaves to meet his Dad at the office, and the dad is going to be late meeting him because he is taking Caroline to school. Long story short, his office is in the one of the Twin Towers and the last scene we see of Tyler is standing at the window of the South Tower. We see a clip at Caroline's school with the date September 11, 2001 written on the chalkboard. Now you can all guess what happens.

Now I know life isn't all roses and candies and thus not all love stories end with "happily ever after". I get that. I'm not that naive. But here's my issue, here we have a young boy who dearly loves his sister and has an amazing relationship with her, and yet he's the one that dies at the end. What the heck? I couldn't help but ask why in the world the father is the one that survives after the whole time in the film he's been a jerk and doesn't want anything to do with his kids. In my perfect "Remember Me" movie world the father would have died and Tyler would have lived. Because in my perfect movie world, Tyler was the one that was the supporter for Carloine and Ally, he was getting his life back after dealing with his brother's death, and he was the one that deserved to live. This movie had a bittersweet ending because like in many of the movies like this one, the father seems to turn his life around and you see him spending time with his daughter. So the overall outcome was meaningful...but still...really?....really? Tyler was the one who had to die? REALLY?.

This movie made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me think about a lot of things in life we often take for granted. So make the time to spend with those you love, or care for. Make the time to call and talk to them, even if it's been years, months, or days. Don't leave things unsaid.

"Remember Me" will probably get added to my collection at some point and perhaps the movie poster on my wall...we shall see.

So here's to life.....
Simply N

Domestic Goddess

After working in my soon to be hobby/craft/work room for pretty much the entire day. I decided to actually cook a meal tonight. Now, this may have something to do with the fact that my parents are coming this evening to help move around some heavy things, but genuinely I had planned to fix meatloaf at some point and I figured today was just as good of a day as any.

I began to get everything together and as I started mixing the ingredients, I realized that I didn't have the onion soup mix or the oatmeal that typically (if I were at Mom and Dad's) would go into the mixture. Determined to make this work, I remembered that I had purchased an onion yesterday and had several packets of maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal. So I improvised and threw in the instant oatmeal and chopped up a little onion and tadah.....I had my meatloaf mixture.

What goes well with meatloaf? Mashed potatoes!!! So I boiled some potatoes, drained, added some milk and mashed them with my awesome hand-held mixer, added some cheese and TA-DAH!!!

It's delicious and very little clean-up was necessary. In the words of the ever so blunt Rosanne (even though I not a huge fan of that show) “I hate the word housewife; I don't like the word home-maker either. I want to be called Domestic Goddess.”

So here's to life! :)
Simply N

Walmart, Neighbors, and Boxes

Have you ever woke up, jumped out of bed with the momentum that "Today is the day I'm going to get things done."? Very rarely does this happen to me, most of the time, I like to take my time and wake up slowly, watch some TV and snack on something. Thus this is why I like to wake up about 30 mins earlier than necessary on school days. Today was one of those motivated mornings with the mission of venturing out to Walmart to by groceries. Now, I'm the type of person, most of the time, that takes my time, looks at my options at things I am buying and compare prices. However, since I've moved in to my apartment and my money is being spent on food, no comparison was in order. I went for the simplest, cheapest, off-brand products I could find. Now, I did not do this on everything, cereal, chicken, beef, and jello are not things that you compromise and buy the cheaper brand. Laugh all you want, but some things are just worth the extra dollar or odd change. I took my time, went down the isles and pretty much stuck with my list, and left $150.00 later. Holy Moly.
I come back to my apartment and put away my groceries, fix myself some lunch, because I refuse to grab something in town after spending so much on food at the store. While I'm enjoying my lunch, I hear a knock on my door. Looking out the peep hole, I don't see anybody, but decide to open the door anyway and take a look. It was two of my neighbor's kids who for some reason have been fascinated with the fact that I've moved in. They asked me endless questions, which I answered nicely, and then told them I had to go and they scampered off down the sidewalk. The next thing I know, I see one of them run past my window wearing a Burger King crown and the other chasing closely behind them. This made me giggle.
Now for an update on the box situation. Most of them are unpacked but now their seems to be an explosion of stuff all over the hobby/craft/work room. I can't wait until everything is organized! I feel a trip to Michaels coming on to get a few more photo boxes to use as storage. That will probably wait until Monday when the bff comes to visit :) Can't wait! So here's to life....
Simply N

Setting Up House

It's official, I am a proud renter and occupant of a two bedroom, one and a half bathroom townhouse. I was quickly welcomed by one of the neighbor kids who was very concerned when he looked in the back of the loaded trailer and couldn't see the TV. We assured him that I did have a TV, and he was also amazed that and I quote "you're going to have a trashcan too?!".
So after all the boxes were unloaded from the trailer and carried to their prospective rooms, I began to filter through and try to find the essential things I needed to have help put up and hung on the wall. It's amazing what you forget you packed when you moved. For example, I've found kitchen and cooking gadgets as well as books and other odds and ends that I probably really don't need, but look great in the places I have put them.
Although I've got a whole lot more to do, aka my office/craft/hobby room that will I'm sure take a few days, I've gotten a lot done in the short 24 hours that I've been moved in. The living room and kitchen/dining room are finished. So the main goal today, is getting the bathrooms organized and set up, and even possibly my bedroom. Ambitious? Yes, but I've got my Ipod charged and ready to get started! So here's to life!

Simply N

Fighting Gravity

Ok so I'm not a huge fan of America's Got Talent, but I have to say that the following group got my attention after reading an article from the Roanoke Times. That's right people, not only has Franklin County gotten on the map, (not because of moonshine, but with the Wright Kids), now Blacksburg, VA has been represented as well.

A group of Fraternity brothers from Virginia Tech have formed a group called "Fighting Gravity" that have not only made it passed auditions, but are now contenders in the Semi-Finals for America's Got Talent. Check out the video below, it will amaze you.

So now on Tuesday nights you can watch America's Got Talent and show your support, whether you're a Hokie or not (I mean it's not like it's football or basketball season yet), and let's get Virginia Tech on the news for something POSITIVE and help vote these guys to the finale!




So here's to life.....
Simply N

Packing Up and Moving Out

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes---this is the story of my life. I have come to the conclusion that in my 23 years of life, I have acquired entirely too much stuff. Seriously, I had no idea how much stuff I had in my room. Just to give you an idea, 1/2 my living room in my side of the house (at my parents' place) is full of loaded, heavy boxes. Boxes from everywhere including the ABC store, which I'm convinced, will make my soon to be neighbors think I'm an alcoholic.

Because I've known I would be moving for over a month, and being the eager person that I am, I decided it would be a good idea to start packing the day I signed the lease (June 15th) for the two bedroom apartment. Now, some of you are probably thinking, that was a good idea, she'll pack the things she won't need and then only have the essentials to pack closer to her move-in date. And this is what I did, but I didn't expect the minute that I packed the things I never use on a daily basis, I would have the desire to get out and use.

For example, some of my DVDs, which I haven't had the desire to watch in over a year, but yet the moment I pack them up, what do I want to do.....WATCH the DVDs. Needless to say this brought on about an hour search through boxes to find a particular DVD that was in a box labeled CDs and not DVDs.

In four days, these boxes that are taking up my living room, will be scattered throughout my new home and it will be just like Christmas looking through and sorting all the things I had forgotten I had packed over a month ago. Here's to life....

Simply N

Here's to Life

So as most of you know, I graduated from Radford University this past May with a degree to teach Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children PreK-12. I graduated on a Saturday, had an interview the following Monday with a school in Mississippi, and was offered the job the following Tuesday. Now most of you are probably thinking that Mississippi is a long way from my home, which you are correct, a whole whopping 11 hours away. So I went to check it out and was really excited about this new adventure I was about to accept.
While I was visiting the school, I got a call from a school district in Virginia wanting an interview. Suddenly life became complicated. Why you ask? Here I was certain that I was suppose to accept a job 11 hours away from my home and comfort-zone and now had the possibility to stay in Virginia. Life isn't as complicated when you only have one choice, but now I had two. I was so concerned and scared I was going to make the wrong decision. I wanted what so many people want and that is a clear sign, a voice to speak and tell me, YOU NEED TO BE HERE or THERE or SOMETHING.
So I interviewed the following Wednesday and was offered the job on the same day. It wasn't a loud voice from the heavens, or burning bush experience, but I'm pretty sure I got my answer.
The point of the matter is life doesn't have just one choice. Life is harder than it was when I was younger and I can't hide behind Mom's skirt or Dad's jeans. But the most exciting part about life, is the new beginnings and new experiences that are waiting when life gives you choices. So here's to life......

Simply N