So I've been hearing a lot about Adventure Time since it began. A lot of Respectable Adult People really like the show & proclaim its goodness. They say it is clever, funny, & addresses real-life relate-able issues.
Since we now have Netflix, I can freely & instantly explore stuff that captures my curiosity, so I decided that I needed to check this deal out. Last night, I watched the first four segments.
Well, it wasn't bad! I enjoyed the animation style, & the music caught my attention more than once. I enjoyed the simple yet fun nature of the plots, the whimsical characters, & the style of story-telling.
However... most of the actual dialogue bogged me down a bit. I liked some of the quotable amusing moments, but overall most of it seemed waaaaaaaay too eager to please. I felt like it was trying so hard to be cool, hip, & trendy. I don't need "sexy" in my media, especially my cartoons. I don't need every line to sound like it wants to be a soundbite.
I can sort of see why it has made a name for being a "crowd pleaser"... but I feel like I'd be happier if it calmed down a bit & didn't try so hard.
(I'm sure some of that sounded like weird ways to describe a cartoon. I hope it made some sort of sense.)
It didn't really make me "feel" anything, nor did I feel I could really relate to any of the characters.
Bottom line: I'll probably end up watching more... if I get bored. But I've seen nothing to make me a "fan", nor am I eager to recommend it to others.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
An Open Letter to My Husband
Three years ago now, we were FINALLY able to see our wedding as a thing that was going to happen. Everything had finally been settled-- the honeymoon, our apartment, even the emotions of our parents. I'll never forget how sweet & supportive you were that whole summer while I was getting so frustrated about each big & little snag.
I think I told you about the minor break-down I had the morning of the wedding, but I was extra annoyed when I was told "it's just nerves". It wasn't. There was nothing but total peace in my heart about what we were finally about to do. I wasn't even bothered when you showed up with grease on your tie, or when you noticed you forgot to bring my wedding band. We got married, & it was everything I wanted, because all I wanted was to marry you. *high-five*
Marriage has been awesome! You're not late to dates anymore, I can make sure you eat actual food from time to time, you learned to rinse dishes, I get to steal your warmth, you assure me that housework isn't always the number one priority in life... you've shown me that marriage is even cooler than I'd imagined.
I think some of our current struggles are harder than those things we had to learn at first. Some of the day-to-day-to-day-to-day problems are smaller, but get so tedious in repetition. You're getting really good at not seeming too worn out by me being worn out. But I want you to always know that it's still just little things! I am comfortable letting you see me get tired of fighting these little things, because I am comfortable in the foundation of our relationship. You are doing your best, & your best is still impressive to me. I am still won over by your patience & your smile. I love getting to see your strongest & your weakest. I am grateful for each bump in the road because we get to learn through them.
It's been a long summer for both of us... but I can't imagine any of it without you. Actually, this whole year has been a bit of a big deal for me-- ever since that February night, you know the one, I've been working so hard on discovering/embracing how I function & trying to grow & work with it. You've done a lot of that yourself, plus we've been piecing together my growth & your growth... & of course we're still not done. I am so proud of what you've done this year, I am so blessed to have you as my partner & best friend, & I am so excited to have paperwork that binds you to me for the rest of my/your life. We got married young, we're still young, but I'd do it the same way all over again because I love doing life side-by-side with you.
You don't have to clean up your office to be a good husband. You don't have to understand what I'm thinking right away. You've always done what is needed-- you care about me, & show that you're in it for the long haul. I can't thank you enough for that. I can only hope that my love is as evident to you as yours is to me. I'd rather struggle with you than party with anyone else-- & our parties are always better anyway. ;-)
I think I told you about the minor break-down I had the morning of the wedding, but I was extra annoyed when I was told "it's just nerves". It wasn't. There was nothing but total peace in my heart about what we were finally about to do. I wasn't even bothered when you showed up with grease on your tie, or when you noticed you forgot to bring my wedding band. We got married, & it was everything I wanted, because all I wanted was to marry you. *high-five*
Marriage has been awesome! You're not late to dates anymore, I can make sure you eat actual food from time to time, you learned to rinse dishes, I get to steal your warmth, you assure me that housework isn't always the number one priority in life... you've shown me that marriage is even cooler than I'd imagined.
I think some of our current struggles are harder than those things we had to learn at first. Some of the day-to-day-to-day-to-day problems are smaller, but get so tedious in repetition. You're getting really good at not seeming too worn out by me being worn out. But I want you to always know that it's still just little things! I am comfortable letting you see me get tired of fighting these little things, because I am comfortable in the foundation of our relationship. You are doing your best, & your best is still impressive to me. I am still won over by your patience & your smile. I love getting to see your strongest & your weakest. I am grateful for each bump in the road because we get to learn through them.
It's been a long summer for both of us... but I can't imagine any of it without you. Actually, this whole year has been a bit of a big deal for me-- ever since that February night, you know the one, I've been working so hard on discovering/embracing how I function & trying to grow & work with it. You've done a lot of that yourself, plus we've been piecing together my growth & your growth... & of course we're still not done. I am so proud of what you've done this year, I am so blessed to have you as my partner & best friend, & I am so excited to have paperwork that binds you to me for the rest of my/your life. We got married young, we're still young, but I'd do it the same way all over again because I love doing life side-by-side with you.
You don't have to clean up your office to be a good husband. You don't have to understand what I'm thinking right away. You've always done what is needed-- you care about me, & show that you're in it for the long haul. I can't thank you enough for that. I can only hope that my love is as evident to you as yours is to me. I'd rather struggle with you than party with anyone else-- & our parties are always better anyway. ;-)
Friday, October 11, 2013
A to Z Book Survey
I'm totally stealing this from My Life as a Teacup (neato blog), & she got it from Chocolate & Cream Cake (also worth checking out).
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Author you’ve read the most books from.
*pretends to not mind the wording just used*
Orson Scott Card, John Grisham, & Lloyd Alexander.
Best sequel ever.
I love A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle SO much. It's the third in the Wrinkle in Time series, & they are all great, but this one is special to me.
Currently reading.
The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene H. Peterson.
Drink of choice while reading.
TEA. All the tea. Particularly chai or spearmint. It can be a wise choice to choose a flavor that is also good cold... ha. Or just start with iced tea. Also hot chocolate is always a favorite.
E-reader or physical book?
I prefer physical if I have the option. The weight, the smell, the sometimes-yellowed pages. It's nice to have easy access to flip back if desired. I like being able to feel where I am in the book. & if I drop it, it most likely won't risk needing replaced (for well over a hundred dollars at least). That's always nice. That said, I do love my tablet & it's great for having many books with me on-the-go. Also, free access to classics that I haven't yet read. Totally groovy. I sometimes prefer the tablet for reading in bed, so if I'm laying down flat & it slips from my hand I don't lose my place.
Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school.
Y'know, I graduated high school at 16, plus had vowed at 13 that I wouldn't date anyone until I was 20. (I did end up breaking that vow by a month + eighteen days, but not without much prayerful consideration.) Soooooooo we'll pretend you want to know who I'd've been buddies with & sort of maybe crushed on a little while a teenager. I'm also going to assume you mean someone actually around high-school age? & do you also mean someone I knew about when I was that age? (I don't do well with open-ended questions.)
Let's just say Calvin O'Keefe. He's a sweetie but not a pushover. Also a redhead. I kind of wanted a redhead. He's smart, easy to be around, respectful...
Glad you gave this book a chance.
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë. I was supposed to read it for school, but COULD NOT get into it so it got removed from my curriculum. (Yay homeschool? I'm actually kind of surprised my mom let it slide. But she doesn't actually like Jane Eyre, so that was probably a big part of it. In addition, the workbook wasn't very good. & I already read like a... person who reads a lot of books.) But then there it was on my shelf when I'd read every other book I owned & couldn't get myself to the library... & I loved it.
Hidden gem book.
Orson Scott Card's The Tale of Alvin Maker series. I consume the Ender's Game/Shadow series/es on a regular basis, but only recently have I attempted to read any of his other stuff. My favorite chapter of A Swiftly Tilting Planet was always The Lightning with Its Rapid Wrath, which is set in the early days of America & as if superstitions & so forth were real... & the Alvin Maker series is entirely about that! I never knew such a thing existed! If you know of any other books that would fit this sub-genre, please let me know, because I dig it.
Also, James Herriot's books.
Important moment in your reading life.
A few different things come to mind. I like this prompt. When I was I-don't-even-know-how-young & had read so many things & didn't know what to read next & was getting a little bit angsty about it, my mom let me read John Grisham's The Testament. After that, she let me read The Client. Then she just set me loose on all the John Grisham books she had. They were my first 'adult' books (classics don't really count). There was murder & rape & swearing & legalese! & I ate it up. & I have no idea how old I was, really. 12 or 13?
I also remember reading Shakespeare for the first time. & Les Miserables, of course. My first Batman comic. Also, I have only recently really begun to dig into non-fiction... sorry...
Just finished.
Instant Mom, by Nia Vardalos, is the last book I finished. It was beautiful.
Kinds of books you won’t read.
I usually don't read new fiction (with the exception of course of Orson Scott Card because he is still writing for series that are old now). I do not read romance novels (including "paranormal romance"). I probably wouldn't get much into military fiction.
Longest book you’ve ever read.
Les Miserables maybe? Probably?
Major book hangover because of…
I think the Harry Potter books did this to me more than any other. I don't want to sound like one of those weird obsessive fans! (They can be awfully scary. Which is why it took me so long to actually read the books.) But I really like the characters & the world.
Number of bookcases you own.
For books? *uses a bookcase in the kitchen & the bathroom, sorry (but not really), I love shelves* One big entire, one short entire, some books scattered elsewhere.
One book you have read multiple times.
If I like a book & own it, I've probably read it multiple times. That's what I do. My husband will read just about anything once & only once, but I am the sort to return & return. I'm going to say Batman: The Long Halloween, because comic books are great for rereading even if you aren't usually one to reread. & if Tim Sale did the art, you may as well just keep it handy for browsing constantly, because he is the best.
Preferred place to read.
I love my living room. It has a couch, a loveseat, a wingback chair, & two recliners on wheels. It also has my bird, places to set down a beverage, blankets & throw pillows, an outlet for charging my tablet... oh, & I could play music on the tablet/xbox360/recordplayer all handy. Also, the cabins at McCormick's Creek State Park-- each cabin has a picnic table on a patio, plus a screened-in porch for when it gets dark & the bugs come out. OR A THUNDERSTORM HAPPENS, which in a cabin in the middle of the woods is THE BEST THING EVER. I'm not much for reading in public.
Quote from a book you’ve read that inspires you.
Gah, I'm bad at book quotes. I really prefer to treasure books as a whole, & not pull things out of context. It's in the entire context that any quote is given its whole meaning. But here, I'll toss something at you:
"Changing the world is good for those who want their names in books. But being happy, that is for those who write their names in the lives of others, and hold the hearts of others as the treasure most dear." -Children of the Mind, Orson Scott Card.
Reading regret.
Not getting into the Lord of the Rings books. I've still not finished them. Eh, I can't really quite bring myself to regret not getting into something I can't seem to get into! I'm super cool anyway!
Series you started and need to finish.I'm missing books 5 & 6 of With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child. I even broke my own rules & read 7 & 8 without having read 5 & 6! I also want to read the rest of The Rats of NIMH series, having finally read the first one.
Three of your all-time favourite books.
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeleine L'Engle. Batman: Legacy, by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, & Alan Grant.
Unapologetic fangirl for…
Uh... good/relateable characters. Fiction loaded with truth. Characters who are good & right but don't "fit the mold" per se (perhaps they don't get along well with others, use unconventional ways to do what is right, that sort of thing-- examples might include Severus Snape, Peter Wiggin, Haymitch Abernathy); I'd never really made the connection before, but I love that sort of thing! Sherlock Holmes & Batman.
Very excited for this release more than all the others.
I may have mentioned that I don't really read new releases... I can be pretty picky about what I need to know about a book/series/author before I pick something up. So even though I feel like I'm doing a lot of talking about Orson Scott Card & ya'll are probably going to disown me for liking his stuff anyway, I have to say Earth Awakens, which shall be the last of a trilogy of prequels to Ender's Game. Guys, I do love his writing. I also never buy his books new, so he doesn't actually get my money. Can we accept that compromise?
Worst bookish habit.
I bend spines relentlessly. I almost exclusively buy used books, & don't have many books that are actually really pretty or anything... I just get books to read them. & bend the spines.
X marks the spot: the 27th book on my shelf.
Rilla of Ingleside, by L. M. Montgomery. I have to admit I haven't even read that one, I just got a box set of Anne of Green Gables...
Your latest book purchase.
Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture, by Adam S. McHugh. One of the best books ever, if you are a Christian.
Zzz-snatcher book (latest book that kept you up way late).
When I was reading Anna & the King of Siam, by I did so late into the night consistently. I really enjoyed it, & need to have my own copy.
-------
Author you’ve read the most books from.
*pretends to not mind the wording just used*
Orson Scott Card, John Grisham, & Lloyd Alexander.
Best sequel ever.
I love A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle SO much. It's the third in the Wrinkle in Time series, & they are all great, but this one is special to me.
Currently reading.
The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene H. Peterson.
Drink of choice while reading.
TEA. All the tea. Particularly chai or spearmint. It can be a wise choice to choose a flavor that is also good cold... ha. Or just start with iced tea. Also hot chocolate is always a favorite.
E-reader or physical book?
I prefer physical if I have the option. The weight, the smell, the sometimes-yellowed pages. It's nice to have easy access to flip back if desired. I like being able to feel where I am in the book. & if I drop it, it most likely won't risk needing replaced (for well over a hundred dollars at least). That's always nice. That said, I do love my tablet & it's great for having many books with me on-the-go. Also, free access to classics that I haven't yet read. Totally groovy. I sometimes prefer the tablet for reading in bed, so if I'm laying down flat & it slips from my hand I don't lose my place.
Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school.
Y'know, I graduated high school at 16, plus had vowed at 13 that I wouldn't date anyone until I was 20. (I did end up breaking that vow by a month + eighteen days, but not without much prayerful consideration.) Soooooooo we'll pretend you want to know who I'd've been buddies with & sort of maybe crushed on a little while a teenager. I'm also going to assume you mean someone actually around high-school age? & do you also mean someone I knew about when I was that age? (I don't do well with open-ended questions.)
Let's just say Calvin O'Keefe. He's a sweetie but not a pushover. Also a redhead. I kind of wanted a redhead. He's smart, easy to be around, respectful...
Glad you gave this book a chance.
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë. I was supposed to read it for school, but COULD NOT get into it so it got removed from my curriculum. (Yay homeschool? I'm actually kind of surprised my mom let it slide. But she doesn't actually like Jane Eyre, so that was probably a big part of it. In addition, the workbook wasn't very good. & I already read like a... person who reads a lot of books.) But then there it was on my shelf when I'd read every other book I owned & couldn't get myself to the library... & I loved it.
Hidden gem book.
Orson Scott Card's The Tale of Alvin Maker series. I consume the Ender's Game/Shadow series/es on a regular basis, but only recently have I attempted to read any of his other stuff. My favorite chapter of A Swiftly Tilting Planet was always The Lightning with Its Rapid Wrath, which is set in the early days of America & as if superstitions & so forth were real... & the Alvin Maker series is entirely about that! I never knew such a thing existed! If you know of any other books that would fit this sub-genre, please let me know, because I dig it.
Also, James Herriot's books.
Important moment in your reading life.
A few different things come to mind. I like this prompt. When I was I-don't-even-know-how-young & had read so many things & didn't know what to read next & was getting a little bit angsty about it, my mom let me read John Grisham's The Testament. After that, she let me read The Client. Then she just set me loose on all the John Grisham books she had. They were my first 'adult' books (classics don't really count). There was murder & rape & swearing & legalese! & I ate it up. & I have no idea how old I was, really. 12 or 13?
I also remember reading Shakespeare for the first time. & Les Miserables, of course. My first Batman comic. Also, I have only recently really begun to dig into non-fiction... sorry...
Just finished.
Instant Mom, by Nia Vardalos, is the last book I finished. It was beautiful.
Kinds of books you won’t read.
I usually don't read new fiction (with the exception of course of Orson Scott Card because he is still writing for series that are old now). I do not read romance novels (including "paranormal romance"). I probably wouldn't get much into military fiction.
Longest book you’ve ever read.
Les Miserables maybe? Probably?
Major book hangover because of…
I think the Harry Potter books did this to me more than any other. I don't want to sound like one of those weird obsessive fans! (They can be awfully scary. Which is why it took me so long to actually read the books.) But I really like the characters & the world.
Number of bookcases you own.
For books? *uses a bookcase in the kitchen & the bathroom, sorry (but not really), I love shelves* One big entire, one short entire, some books scattered elsewhere.
One book you have read multiple times.
If I like a book & own it, I've probably read it multiple times. That's what I do. My husband will read just about anything once & only once, but I am the sort to return & return. I'm going to say Batman: The Long Halloween, because comic books are great for rereading even if you aren't usually one to reread. & if Tim Sale did the art, you may as well just keep it handy for browsing constantly, because he is the best.
Preferred place to read.
I love my living room. It has a couch, a loveseat, a wingback chair, & two recliners on wheels. It also has my bird, places to set down a beverage, blankets & throw pillows, an outlet for charging my tablet... oh, & I could play music on the tablet/xbox360/recordplayer all handy. Also, the cabins at McCormick's Creek State Park-- each cabin has a picnic table on a patio, plus a screened-in porch for when it gets dark & the bugs come out. OR A THUNDERSTORM HAPPENS, which in a cabin in the middle of the woods is THE BEST THING EVER. I'm not much for reading in public.
Quote from a book you’ve read that inspires you.
Gah, I'm bad at book quotes. I really prefer to treasure books as a whole, & not pull things out of context. It's in the entire context that any quote is given its whole meaning. But here, I'll toss something at you:
"Changing the world is good for those who want their names in books. But being happy, that is for those who write their names in the lives of others, and hold the hearts of others as the treasure most dear." -Children of the Mind, Orson Scott Card.
Reading regret.
Not getting into the Lord of the Rings books. I've still not finished them. Eh, I can't really quite bring myself to regret not getting into something I can't seem to get into! I'm super cool anyway!
Series you started and need to finish.I'm missing books 5 & 6 of With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child. I even broke my own rules & read 7 & 8 without having read 5 & 6! I also want to read the rest of The Rats of NIMH series, having finally read the first one.
Three of your all-time favourite books.
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeleine L'Engle. Batman: Legacy, by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, & Alan Grant.
Unapologetic fangirl for…
Uh... good/relateable characters. Fiction loaded with truth. Characters who are good & right but don't "fit the mold" per se (perhaps they don't get along well with others, use unconventional ways to do what is right, that sort of thing-- examples might include Severus Snape, Peter Wiggin, Haymitch Abernathy); I'd never really made the connection before, but I love that sort of thing! Sherlock Holmes & Batman.
Very excited for this release more than all the others.
I may have mentioned that I don't really read new releases... I can be pretty picky about what I need to know about a book/series/author before I pick something up. So even though I feel like I'm doing a lot of talking about Orson Scott Card & ya'll are probably going to disown me for liking his stuff anyway, I have to say Earth Awakens, which shall be the last of a trilogy of prequels to Ender's Game. Guys, I do love his writing. I also never buy his books new, so he doesn't actually get my money. Can we accept that compromise?
Worst bookish habit.
I bend spines relentlessly. I almost exclusively buy used books, & don't have many books that are actually really pretty or anything... I just get books to read them. & bend the spines.
X marks the spot: the 27th book on my shelf.
Rilla of Ingleside, by L. M. Montgomery. I have to admit I haven't even read that one, I just got a box set of Anne of Green Gables...
Your latest book purchase.
Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture, by Adam S. McHugh. One of the best books ever, if you are a Christian.
Zzz-snatcher book (latest book that kept you up way late).
When I was reading Anna & the King of Siam, by I did so late into the night consistently. I really enjoyed it, & need to have my own copy.
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