Mad Mad Hot

A few weeks ago, I stopped by the library to pick up some books. On my way out, I grabbed a flyer for a new film discussion group they were planning.

Tonight was the first night.

There was popcorn, and cookies and cokes, and the all of that and the movie were FREE, which is always high on my list of fun.

The movie?

Mad Hot Ballroom. (amazon link at the bottom of post)

DUDE. Get thee to your rental store and get this movie! Brandus and I both walked out of there grinning like idiots. The kids are adorable, and some of them are just amazing dancers. Im a documentary fan most of the time, anyway, and I had been wanting to see this one.

It really is amazing. Its about a group of inner city fifth grade New York City kids, half from the Dominican Republic, participating in a free ballroom dancing program. It charts from the beginning of the classes, all the way through the city final competition.

In between, the kids hang out and talk about what they want out of life, and what they want out of people. its SO VERY COOL.

My favorite kid was named Wilson, and he spoke no English at all, and yet, he was one of the top dancers. and he had tons of friends he could barely talk to, but it didnt matter, cause the kid had MOVES.

Go and rent. Please. Totally and completely worth it.

Posted in geek | Comments Off on Mad Mad Hot

NoNoNaNo

I have decided (possibly while drugged) that im going to take on NaNoWriMo again this year.

Last year, i failed miserably, but this year, i will be triumphant! 50,000 words in 30 days? NO PROBLEM*.

Chick lit, this time around, partially autobiographical, but mostly full of crap. Working title is: “Why I Hate Shoe Shopping.” That, of course, is completely subject to change based on whims, insomnia, and complete insanity.

For those of you playing along at home, im alianora on the nano forums, feel free to friend or stalk or whatever.

And for those of you who have livejournals, i will be posting bits and pieces over at my friends locked journal boatsofpaper. So, if you want to read, you have to have a livejournal, you have to friend me, and you have to remind me to friend you back.

Gah. I must be insane.

*please, no mocking when i start posting and crying about how big of a problem this really is.

Posted in nanowrimo | 1 Comment

Run Away!

Natalie and David are currently running a marathon.

i MEANT to post yesterday and wish them luck, but somewhere, between it being Saturday and me being a lazy lout, i forgot.

So, im hoping that Natalie is feeling better (as she was sick yesterday), that no one falls and gets hurt, and that they all finish in good time, and not in too much pain.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!

Posted in misc | Comments Off on Run Away!

(up)Dateless

Its been a while, boys and girls.

Ive kinda been head down in fandom lately, partially because ive had nothing to say about my real life, as it is generally boring, and partially because, the stuff i HAVE had to say, i havent wanted to. If that makes sense.

But, in a nutshell, my grandma died, shannon had a birthday and i didnt post about it (cause i suck. I love you, Shan!), and ive applied for a new job.

thats really it.

however, im not just going to end this here, because that would be weird, and might make you think i dont love to hear the sound of my own voice..or the look of my own typing?

something.

SO! Instead, forever ago, at some point, Louise sent me some questions for an interview.

For some bizarre reason, i never answered them.

i shall do that now.

1. Do you find a difference in what happens at school nowadays as compared to when you were in school?

GOD YES. although im not teaching anymore, listening to brandus talk about his students helps reminds me. When i was in school, i probably would have fainted dead away if someone had pulled some of the shit that gets pulled nowadays. of course, that could be because im a goodygoody who spent the majority of her time in honor’s classes, so i had NO IDEA what “real” kids did in class. For all i know, there were strippers.

2. What’s the very earliest memory you can think of? How old were you when it took place?

This is a complicated question, because i cant seperate the very early ages very well. So, instead some of my more random memories.

-at one point, i had become very angry with Natalie, the eldest of us. I took my angry little self into her room, wanting to break things. HOWEVER, i didnt actually want anything to break, as i didnt want to get in trouble. So, i very carefully picked up a number of small breakable things and placed them on the floor, surrounded by the heavier things. So it LOOKED like i had knocked a bunch of things over in a fit of rage.

i cant even remember if i left it like that or if picked everything up again in fear. i was a weird kid. i still AM a weird kid. just..bigger.

-i do, in fact, remember the Easy Bake Oven Christmas. I bet my parents STILL regret giving us that thing, as we were all convinced that Santa brought it for ME. things got ugly very quickly.

-“It’ll turn purple and fall off!”

3. If you didn’t HAVE to do anything in order to live in perfect comfort (ie eat, sleep, breathe etc), is there anything you’d still do, just because you like it?

I am overwhelmed between the choice of sleeping and eating. Ben and Jerry’s versus my temperpedic pillow..what to do?

4. What’s your greatest regret?

Oh sure, ask me something EASY. Uh. I guess..one of the things I wish i had done (besides listening to my gut instincts about teaching the first time around) is i wish i hadnt psyched myself out of my first choice college. I loved PC, and im glad i went there, but my original choice for college was Wake Forest. Somehow, between a conversation with my dad about how hard of a school it was, and my interpretation that my SAT scores (1290) werent high enough for the average. I dont know, i just..psyched myself out of it.

There is a part of me that wants to go back and try again, this time going there. Not to mention wondering what a bigger school with more options would have given my “im going to be a TEACHER!” idea.

5. Is there anything about you that people would be totally surprised to learn? Are you secretly an Extreme Kickboxing Champion :D?

I am a NINJA!

No, actually..lets see. Im really a big sap. I am sarcastic as hell, yeah, but inside im made of creamy nougat. Hurt kittens have been known to make me cry. Call me on it and i will hurt you.

Anyone got questions? Comments? Insults?

Posted in misc | 4 Comments

The Great Dalton

I love finding random pictures. I google image searched my hometown of Dalton, Ga, just to see what would happen.

Here, for example, is a picture of the 1967 Dalton High Marching Band.

The kid in the middle of this picture is my cousin who isnt in jail.

Hi Daddy!

isnt that just..strange?

Posted in misc | 2 Comments