Saturday Lunch: Aunt Nettie's Kitchen

For our 42nd week having Saturday lunch we went to Aunt Nettie's Kitchen in Spring Grove, Pa.  I have known about this place for a while and have been wanting to go for some time. So today we made the trip there, and it was well worth it.  I had the Club Wrap and it not only my lunch, but will be my dinner as well.  The portions are great for the price of the food and it is nearly all homemade! I suggest trying the club wrap, it had French fries in it!  Or the bacon Mac and cheese burger; it too was delicious, that was what my boyfriend had and he loved it. (The Bacon Mac and Cheese Burger is pictured below).  We will definitely be returning for another visit sometime soon and we both highly recommend Aunt Nettie's Kitchen to anyone.  It is a family owned restaurant  and the service was great, they were extremely attentive and kind.  I would definitely give this restaurant 5/5 stars.

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month and it is fast approaching!  I am very excited to participate this year.  This will be my first year taking part in the month long event, more like a writing marathon.  For those of you who don't know about NaNoWriMo, it is a non-profit organization that encourages creative writing in a fast-paced and fun way.  They run several programs to encourage writing and expanding creativity for all ages.  I support the expansion of creative arts in all forms from a very young age, so I think that NaNoWriMo is a great organization and I am extremely excited to be involved in it this year. 

If you'd like to check out more about NaNoWriMo here is their website:

http://nanowrimo.org/about

Otakon at the Baltimore Convention Center

This past weekend was the Annual Otakon at the Baltimore Convention Center.  I attended this three day event with a group of friends this year.  It was August 8th, 9th, & 10th.  This was my first experience at an event like this and it was very interesting.  There were about 35,000 people at Otakon.

 For those of you who who may not know, Otakon stands for Convention of Otaku Generation.  An Otaku is term for someone who either draws manga (Japanese graphic novels), or someone who is very invested in reading manga or watching anime (Japaneses cartoons). 



At the Convention:

There were a lot of different activities to do at Otakon.  There were many panels and guest speakers, there also a lot of anime viewing sessions.  There were opportunities to get autographs from voice actors and actresses, as well as Maid Cafe Performances.  There was a very large Game Room with a plethora of video games ranging from, Smash Brothers, to Just Dance, to tables set up for playing Magic The Gathering and other card games. 

One of the biggest attractions however, may be the Dealers' Room.  This is an immense room filled with any kind of otaku and gamer merchandise you can think of! There were posters, plushies, stuffed animals, costumes, DVDs, books, comics, wigs, key chains, pillows, t-shirts, and so much more. 

Saturday The Big Cosplay Day:
[Cosplay is when you dress up as a specific character, its a combination of Costume and Role Play]

These two pictures below are one example of just how many people not only attended Otakon but also how many of those people actually dressed  up!  There were all kinds of different costumes as well.  If you look through these photos you can see there were people as Elsa, there is a TinkerBell, there were people from video games such as Final Fantasy and Halo, there were Storm Troopers and Disney Villains and Princesses.  There were also people dressed up as people from more well known animes such as Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Fairytail, and many more. 

 

Here are two examples of some amazing costumes.  One the Left is a very nice Elsa costume, she even has a little Olaf doll.  To the Right is my friend Hannah, she found a picture online and decided that she really wanted to make a costume for; and  right there is the beauty of Otakon.  You can dress up as anyone you want.  You can express your creativity like Hannah did or you can be that Princess you'd love to be like this Elsa cosplayer did.  

 So, if you have any questions about Otakon or want to see more pictures just leave a comment and let me know!

Saturday Lunch Review: Clair's

For week 30 we went to Clair's Family Restaurant for lunch.  It's been around for a while and we finally got to go for our lunch.  We had both been there before but haven't been for quite some time.  The food was very good, the staff was nice, a little odd but very nice all the same.  We very much enjoyed the atmosphere.  They also have an area for ice cream if you'd like to stop in for a sweet treat.  I've heard their milkshakes are delicious but we didn't get one while we were there, so maybe next time. 

Saturday Lunch Review: Tropical Treat

For our 29th week doing our Saturday lunches, we went to The Tropical Treat.  We both had their specialty, The FatBoy.  Its a burger with two patties and a special sauce on it that make it very delicious.  I've been to the Treat many times before and it is definitely a favorite of mine.  Be warned, its a drive in place, or you can park and eat outside at picnic tables.  But it is very relaxing to sit out on a nice day and eat.  It is often pretty busy because it is a very popular place.  I would recommend anyone go and try the FatBoy Burger, at least once. 

Book Review: The Great Gatsby

I came into The Great Gatsby knowing what was going to happen.  I've seen the movie several times before reading the book.  But I was still very interested and enthralled by the book.  The descriptions of the characters, Daisy especially gave me a knew respect for, and understanding of her.  The way I viewed her in the book and in the movie were very different, due to the way that Fitzgerald depicts her.  You can truly feel the tangled, heart-throbbing mess that the characters find themselves in.  Fitzgerald does a great job of portraying the emotions of the characters and showing what really drives them.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good classic or love story.

Review: Jersey Boys

 

Jersey Boys was a fantastic portrayal of the successes and trials of the Four Seasons rise to fame.  The actors do a fantastic job and the singing is phenomenal.  The way that they narrated the movie was very unique and the perfect way to tell their story.  The movie was a little longer than I expected but it was well worth it  I would definitely recommend seeing this. 

Saturday Lunch Review: Genova's

For our 26th week, we went to Genova's, a pizza and sub shop, for lunch.  The food was very good, we both had subs that were delicious.  Their bread was freshly made and very good.  They were also doing a deal that you got a coupon and if you spent at least $15.00 you would get a free 16 inch pizza.  The pizza, which we ate later that evening, was also very good.  They had a large dining area and also offered carry out options.  We enjoyed eating there and will definitely be returning. 

Movie Review: 22 Jump Street

Twenty-two Jump Street was a really funny movie.  A big part of the movie was that the storyline be "exactly the same as last time".  They were supposed to solve this case exactly the same as last time, but this case is totally different.  There were quite a few surprised that had me really busting up.  In my opinion, the first movie was funnier over all, but the sequel had better funny moments.  I would definitely recommend this movie to any comedy lover or anyone who has seen the first movie.  It's definitely worth it. 

Saturday Lunch Review: The Hanover Hub

For our 25th week, we went to The Hanover Hub under the McAllister Hotel.  The lunch was very delicious and extremely reasonably priced.  Everything was priced very well and we really enjoyed the food.  The fries stood out, they had old bay on them and they were very good.  Most of the menu had some sort of chicken with it, but they also had a Philly cheese steak, which is what I got.   I would definitely recommend The Hanover Hub to anyone and I know that we will definitely be returning here to eat again.

Movie Review: Maleficent

The movie Maleficent was a fantastic spin on the old Disney Classic, Sleeping Beauty.  I will say this to start, if you are a die hard Sleeping Beauty fan and you live by the way the story is told in the Sleeping Beauty movie, I would not recommend Maleficent as the story is changed from the original.  However, the story of Maleficent is much more interesting and captivating.  Angelina Jolie does a magnificent job portraying the twisting and changing emotions of Maleficent in the movie.  The young actress, Elle Fanning, does a wonderful job showing the youthful innocence of Aurora as well.  Now I don't want to spoil anything, but the ending to the story gives a wonderful message about true love and the meaning and existence of true love.  It is a fabulous message for young girls and Disney does a fantastic job showing the real meaning of true love.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone, Disney fan or not, this movie is definitely a must see. 

Saturday Lunches: Warehouse Gourmet

Today for lunch we went to the Warehouse Gourmet for lunch.  The atmosphere was very nice, it was a subtle but classy place.  We were served water in glass carafes and bread with a tasty spread once we were seated.  We ate at the Bistro, but there is also a bar upstairs.  The staff was very polite, however we did not get checked on at the table very often.  But the food was very good, we both had a honey mustard chicken wrap and it was very good, it was smaller than we expected, but was very reasonably priced.  We enjoyed lunch here very much and definitely intend to return! 

Brain Training App - Elevate

There is a new app for Apple products, I'm not sure if it is also for Androids as I don't have an Android device.  This app is called Elevate.  To the left is the Icon for the app.  This app is a really neat one, its meant to help improve your intelligence.  The app consists of levels and different games to play.  You can choose what you want to improve on, there are four or five different options, the include; reading skills, memory, writing conciseness, spelling, and listening.  Elevate is a "brain-training" app.  Its also very fun to play.  The catch is that you can only play it once a day.  You are given three games or "sessions" to complete each day.  The game tracks you on how well you do and gives you stats and rankings against other players.  You also get stats for how well you day based on previous days.  I've been using this app for about a week now and I definitely think its working.  Its a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.  Give it a try, I hope you enjoy it!

Saturday Lunch Review: Pickle Barrel Cafe

We have started running out of places to go for lunch in our town.  There are, however, a few places left, one of which is in the mall.  It's a little cafe called the Pickle Barrel Cafe, it hasn't been there for very long.  The staff was polite and we did not have to wait long for our meal.  I had a turkey club that was very good and Ronnie had an egg salad sub which he said was good.  We both had their potato salad and we agreed that it was a little spicier than we preferred.  The atmosphere was very quaint and quiet.  The decor was a little interesting, there were large pickles all over the walls depicted doing various actions.  I would go back again if I was in the mall and hungry but I would not go out of my way to go there again. 

Saturday Lunch Review: Shady Maple Smorgasbord

I know this is later than intended but with it being Memorial Day weekend I was a little busy.  Anyway, this past Saturday my boyfriend, Ronnie, ended up picking our lunch venue.  He chose Shady Maple Smorgasbord in Blue Ball, Pennsylvania, a very Amish town.  Shady Maple was huge the building for dining in was enormous on it's own.  It was a self-serve style buffet and there was plenty of food!  We arrived at about 10:00 so we had brunch.  Their breakfast foods were fantastic, and they had such a variety!  There were three different kinds of bacon alone.  They also had four different grill stations that you could get your own omelet made.  My personal favorites however, were the cheesy hashbrowns, the sausage gravy, and the bacon might have been some of the best bacon I have ever tasted!  We also had some of the lunch food as well, but we were less impressed with those options, the crab cakes were a little too spicy, however the mashed potatoes were good.

There are additional attractions to Shady Maple besides the food.  There was an enormous gift shop underneath the dining area.  There were so many different things; adorable knick-knacks, sports paraphenalia, and handmade quilts, along with so much more.  There was also a wonderful farmer's market in the building beside the buffet.  It was huge and smelled simply delicious.  They were giving out so many free samples, but unfortunately we were too stuffed to try anything.  Going to Shady Maple, even though it was a bit of a drive was a greast experience, the food was very good and there were other attractions that made the trip even more worth while. 


Here is the website for Shady Maple if you'd like to try it out:
http://www.shady-maple.com/

Saturday Lunches

At the beginning of this year my boyfriend had the idea for us to start a little tradition.  So, every Saturday he and I go out for lunch, and every single week we pick a new place to eat at so we never repeat places during the whole year.  Each week we alternate who picks where we are going.  Here is a list of the places we have gone for the first 20 weeks:

1. Olive Garden
2. Red Lobster
3. Starlite Diner
4. Little's Diner
5. Cracker Barrel
6. Chili's
7. Grand Eats and Sweets
8. Jimmy John's
9. Baltimore Street Family Restaurant
10. Lucky Spot Family Restaurant
11. Perkins
12. Dutch Country
13. Famous Hot Wiener
14. Texas Roadhouse
15. Baugher's
16. Panera Bread
17. Buffalo Wild Wings
18. Roger's Grillin'
19. TGI Friday's
20. Grandview Diner

We've gone to every one of these places over the past 20 weeks.  So I have decided that from this coming weekend on, I will be writing a short review of the place we eat at each week.  I've been meaning to write this for a while and finally got around to it.  So, sometime between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning I will write a review of where we eat this Saturday, so make sure to check it out!  It's my week to pick and I just can't decide where to pick yet. 

Review: Neighbors

Neighbors came out on May 9th.  This movie takes a brand new family and pits them against a high standing Frat in a battle of whit and humor.  If you enjoy drunken, weed, and sexual humor, this is a movie for you.  The theatre was in fits of hysterics during portions of this film.  It was a very good movie, a few twists, and up until the end you are stilling guessing at who will win this fight.  And I must say that little baby is simply adorable.  Seth Rogen does a great job of portraying a young and not quite ready father trying to make ends meet and still be the wild child from his youth.  Zac Efron also portrays a party obsessed, not sure what's after college frat guy effortlessly.  Also ladies, the sculpted body and great butt that Efron has are very pleasing to the eye.  So if you enjoy a good laugh and some weed jokes, along with a few penises thrown in, you should definitely go see Neighbors.  

The Preakness

On May 17th I attended the Preakness with my boyfriend.  It was a new experience for us as neither of us have ever been to a horse race before, much less one of such magnitude.  We were on the infield, so there was a lot to see.  There were many food vendors, some souvenir tents, a few gambling tents, and a plethora of beer vendors.  I would be willing to bet that over two-thirds of the people there were at least tipsy and probably one-third were drunk.  We got to see a couple of fights as well, but there was security everywhere so they were quickly disbanded.  The last third of the overall group were very well dressed and looked very classy, which is to be expected.  There were so many well dress women with great hats on!  I really appreciate a good hat.  There are a few good ones picture below.

There were several vocal artists that performed on the infield as well.  We got to see Switchfoot perform.  They were very good, I only knew a few of their songs but they were very involved in the crowd and were very interactive.  They had the crowd very excited, they had everyone screaming and singing along.  Then we also saw Lorde perform.  Her performance was a little different.  She was not exactly what I expected.  Her performance was darker than I had expected, but it was still very good, her voice continues to amaze me, especially for how young she is.  She is very talented. 




Then of course, there was the main event, the race.  It was amazing, everyone was so excited!  It was kind of hard to see because of all of the tents in the around and there were so many people, but it was very exciting nonetheless.  As you probably already know it was California Chrome who won the Preakness, in case you are not aware, he was also the one that won the Kentucky Derby.  However, there has been a small hitch going into the Belmont.  California Chrome wears a nasal strip while racing.  However, there has been information stated that the nasal strip may not be allowed to be worn during the third jewel of the Triple Crown.  The Gaming Commission Spokesman said that if there is a request to wear the nasal strip, the request will be reviewed and a decision will be made.  Until then we will just have to wait and see what the fate of California Chrome will be. 

When Attending a Wedding

I went to my first wedding this past weekend.  It was very exciting, there were a lot of things that I didn't know happened.  For example the man who catches the garter has to put it on the girl who catches the bouquet's leg.  Well I caught the bouquet without knowing this first.  You can imagine my surprise.  Luckily it was a friend of mine who caught the garter (to the left is a picture of right before he put the garter on me). 
Also, nowadays the groom takes the bride's garter off with his teeth.  This was very amusing to watch and came with a lot of hooting and hollering.  Also, I didn't know that the music that the wedding party walks down the isle to is not the wedding march, it is other music, it is only the bride who walks to the wedding march. 
Recently, many people have started having a small cake and a lot of cupcakes for the reception rather than the traditional big layered wedding cake (below to the left is a picture of one of the cupcakes as well). 
There is a new type of centerpiece they used at the wedding as well, its a flower submerged in water in a vase with a flowing candle on top (pictured below).  I really liked this, I've seen it all over Pinterest, I just think that it is very pretty.  Unfortunately in the picture our candles had blown out, but its still very pretty.  There was also a large candle lit with the two vases of flowers.  It was very pretty. 
It was a new and exciting experience. 

Review: Captain American 2: The Winter Soldier

So I haven't blogged in a while and I apologize for that, I've been very busy with school the last two weeks or so, but now I have time again.  So I'd like to do a little review of the new Captain America movie.  However there may be *SPOILERS* if you have not seen it or read the comics, I didn't put very many in, but there are one or two.  So please, if you are going to see it and you want to go in knowing absolutely nothing, please do not read the next paragraph of this post, skip to the one after it (starting with "The actors"). 


Has SPOILERS
I am an avid watcher of super hero movies, I absolutely love them, well most of them.  This one is in fact another one I truly enjoyed.  The story was very good, I liked that throughout the whole movie he not only faced the fight against the winter soldier, but he also faced an internal struggle.  Was everything that he was doing to S.H.E.I.L.D. really worth it, were they really doing what was right and just?  And who could he really trust?  With everything he was learning throughout the journey was he really doing what needed to be done for the safety of the American people or was he just a pawn for a bigger scheme that would go against everything he fought for?  As he also copes with the loss of a friend. 


Doesn't Have Spoilers
The actors do a fantastic job portraying the emotions of the characters as they go on the emotional roller coaster that is this chapter of their lives.  I always love watching a good fight scene and there are many great ones in this movie.  The fight scenes are very riveting and fast-paced with complex movement but are still easily watched without wondering what they're doing.  The effects were also very well done and it was all around a very good movie.  I hope that if you go see it then you like it as much as I did. 

St. Patrick's Day

It seems only fitting to post something about this very green holiday today.  So here are some facts you may not know about St. Patrick's Day.

- I just overheard that people eat Green Mashed Potatoes on this holiday, I've never heard of eating green mashed potatoes

- It is a holiday to celebrate Irish culture

- It is a traditional holiday for spiritual renewal

- Saint Patrick is credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland

- Saint Patrick is most commonly know for driving snakes from Ireland

- Below is a stained glass window from  a church in Dublin that portrays Saint Patrick

(Here is a website dedicated to St. Patrick's Day if you'd like to find out some more interesting facts http://www.st-patricks-day.com/ )

 

The Importance of Shoes

Imagine for a minute what your feet would be like without shoes. 

Did you think of much? 

Well let's start out with an easier question rather than jumping right in.  What do we use shoes for?  Well many would say to cover our feet, or to protect our feet from the outside elements.  This is true, but why do you buy shoes then?  Most women would say "Because they're really cute and I have the perfect top to match them" and most men would say "Because the pair I have on are falling apart and my mother/wife is nagging me about getting new ones", two very different answers for buying a pair of shoes, that are simply for protecting our feet. 

But where would we be without shoes?  I know I would have some pretty sore feet.  As for today they would also be very wet, as it is raining right now.  Your feet would be burnt and calloused in the summer from walking on the hot pavement and they would be blue and possibly missing a toe or two in the winter from walking in the snow. 

Sometimes we under value things that mean a great deal to our daily lives.  We kick them off when we get home not bothering to untie them and throw them to the back our closet when we are "cleaning" our rooms or houses. 

This is something to think about today, why are shoes important to you?  What do your shoes mean to you? 

Adventures in Cooking

I am really enjoying cooking right now so I decided to make some desserts yesterday.  I made eclairs and key lime cupcakes.  The cupcakes were just a mix from a box, but I made the eclairs from scratch.  So I'll tell you about that recipe. 

I had made these once before for a foods day in my french class in high school and I kind of just winged it and did my own sort of recipe, so here is my improvisation taken from a cookbook and a youtube video. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
3 oz butter, 6 tbsp
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4-5 eggs
1 box Instant Vanilla Pudding, jello brand (any flavor with do)
1 conatiner chocolate icing





*Picture - two of the eclairs, and one of the cupcakes (that is a pot of gold on the cupcake for St. Patrick's Day)*
Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees (Fahrenhiet).  Bring milk, water, and butter to a roiling boil.  Add salt, sugar and flour once boiling. 
2.  Stire with a wooden spoon until the dough rolls into a ball shape. 
3.  Remove from heat.
4.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, and mix until a thick mixture.  (You may not need all 5 eggs, you may only need 4)
5.  Put mixture into a plastic bag with one corner cut out and form into "fingers" (about the length and width of a finger) on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
6.  Put into oven at 450 for 10 minutes.
7.  Turn pan around, lower temperature to 375, put in for 15 minutes.
8.  Let cool.
9.  Make instant pudding for filling. 
10.  Add chocolate, or other desired topping, on top. 

I have a few extra tips for making these because it can be tricky, especially the first time.
1.  After the eclairs have cooled, use a straw, such as one you would get at a McDonald's. to poke a hole through one end of the eclair, but do not push the straw through the other end, this make filling the eclairs with the filling much easier.
2.  When you are ready to add the topping, if it is icing, I reccommend heating up the container of icing, without the lid, for 15 seconds.  This loosens it up just enough to make it easier to spread on, but doesn't make it too runny so that it runs off the top. 
3.  You can also add fruit to the top of the eclairs, I used strawberries this time. 
4.  You can also make substitutes for the pusing inside, you can use a jam or jelly as well as any flavor of pudding. 

If you try it out, leave a comment and let me know how it turns out!

Topic Today: Food!!!

I have decided to write about a recipe I made not too long ago and I think turned out great.  I made Chicken Parmigiana, I found this recipe on allrecipes.com I use that source a lot for recipes when I'm looking for a new one.  I made this for my boyfriend who loves chicken and he loved it.  I don't even like chicken and I liked it, which definitely says something.  This recipe is relatively cheap and while the serving is only for two you can always double it to make for the family.

The recipe:

Makes 2 servings

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
2 ounces dry bread crumbs (I used shake and bake seasoned bread crumbs & it turned out great)
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 (16 ounce) jar of spaghetti sauce
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.

2. Pour egg into a small shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into egg, then into the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

3. Pour 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce into a 7x11 inch baking dish. Place chicken over sauce, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top and return to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

For sides, I added French cut green beans and bow tie noodles and it was very good. 

Here is what mine turned out like:

To the Readers

So I've gotten a lot of traffic on here the last couple of days and I really hope everyone is enjoying what they are reading, and if not leave me a suggestion, write a comment or email me, my email is going to be posted and I'll leave my twitter handle as well.  If you want to tweet me feel free, if that is more your style.  I am going to be trying a lot of different things on this blog until I find my niche.  My readers are what's important to me so let me know what you think.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!

The Urge to Run: Mudderella, Color Run, and Relay for Life

So my boyfriend was a cross country runner in high school and really loved it.  I ran track in high school and hated it.  He wants the two of us to start training to run a 5K.  Well that's not so bad so I figured why not, let's do it.  So I've been doing a little research online, to find some stuff out, better ways to exercise and train and such, and I have found a few things that sounds pretty interesting.  First of all, Mudderella, I follow them on Facebook and Instagram and it seems like it would be a lot of fun to do an obstacle course in an insane amount of mud.  But it also seems very hard, for someone like me, who has trouble running a mile with having an asthma attack.  But I'd really like to do it.

Has anyone ever done Mudderella or something like it?  If so feel free to share your experience in the comments. 

I have also heard about the Color Run, which sounds pretty fun as well.  How well will the paint come off though?  Haha, I've heard it can stick around for a while. 

So I'm starting my training with a friend of mine today.  We are going to the gym on our campus and hopefully work up a good sweat.  I don't know exactly how to go about training for either of these races.  I do know one thing for sure, my upper arms need some serious training, I can only do one push-up, its sad, I know.  The worst part is that I played volleyball in high school and continue to play pick-up games and my arm strength is, as I explain it to friends, the equivalent to the strength of cooked spaghetti noodles. 

Race number three is the Relay for Life, which I'm sure so many people already know about.  It is a relay for the fight against cancer that raises money for cancer research.  This one I know that I definitely want to participate in and my friends and I have already talked about being involved in the one that our campus does every year.  I think that this is a great cause and I encourage anyone to get involved with it.  Its a fantastic way to give back and help those in need who are fighting for their lives every single day and to remember those who have lost their battle with cancer. 

Valentine's Day

So I figured I should post a little something about Valentine's Day since it just happened Friday.  Firstly, the two pictures to the left are the beautiful gifts I received from my wonderful boyfriend and the pictures don't do them justice.  He also wrote me the sweetest poem in my card but that is for my eyes only.  This was our first Valentine's Day together, and my intention is not for this blog to be a record of my life, but this weekend has been such a wonderful time in my life and one that I want to remember forever, so I can't help wanting to share it.  This man, Ronnie, who has given me not only the most amazing Valentine's Day but also his love and affection, is the most wonderful man I have ever met.  I don't just say this because he is the love of my life, but because he truly is a fantastic man.  He is a little quite but extremely funny and kind, he is one of the most generous and genuine people I've ever met.  He would do anything for anyone, especially those who he cares for.  He is a little nerdy in the most adorable way and has the cutest smile and most amazing eyes.  For these reasons and so many more, he is the love of my life and he forever will be.

It is for all these reasons that it was so hard to say goodbye to him tonight when dropped me off at college after my weekend with him.  This was one of the hardest times ever to say goodbye to him, for any reason.  We have gone longer without seeing each other and we have had longer time together before saying goodbye to each other; but this one was particularly difficult.  It could have been because of the wonderful weekend we had, because it was Valentine's Day weekend, because it was a weekend filled with love and the reminder of how much love we had for each other, or because of any number of other reasons.  But all I know, is that when we were only ten minutes from my campus I turned down the radio, during my favorite song, and proceeded to cry telling him much I love him and how much I would miss him during the upcoming week.  So if you're reading this, I love you Ronnie, so very much!!!

Movie: 12 Years A Slave

I was able to get extra credit in my history class if I typed up a summary of this movie and brought in the ticket stub.  So I of course went to see it this past weekend.  I have mixed feelings about it. 

I thought the story was compelling and heartwarming, as well as extremely appalling.  As this movie was based off a true story I am amazed at Nothrup's strength throughout the events of his life.  I thought that the acting was fantastic!  The actors and actresses did a phenomenal job of portraying the fear, grief, and pain that the charcters went through.  The awards that this movie won were well deserved.  I would not reccommend this movie to everyone, but I would reccommend this to most and my reason being; I went to see this movie with one of my friends and she did not like it.  So this movie is not for everyone, but it is definitely for most. 

Starting Anew

Hello all,

I have decided that I am going to start Blogging much more often.  I have many big plans for this Blog but I'll start with a little update on me.  I am now a freshman in college, yay! I am attending York College of Pennsylvania and pursuing a Professional Writing degree with minors in Anthropology and Marketing Management, what a combo right?  I am also very excited to announce that I am dating a wonderful guy.  We have been dating for exaactly eight months today and we are very much in love.  But that is not what I'm going to be Blogging about, for the most part at least.  I am going to start doing book reviews, and movie reviews.  I might do music reviews, too.  I am going to be Blogging whatever comes to mind mostly or whatever is relevant right now. 

What's on my mind today is my current Writing 202 assignment.  I am trying to decide on a topic of choice for a research project.  Let me throw some ideas at you. 

First Choice:  The struggles faced when publishing academic texts versus publishing popular texts. 
Second Choice:  The impact that self publishing online has on publishing companies. 
Third Choice:  The influence Blogging has on the probablity of getting published.

So if you have a choice you think is good or if you have an opinion on what another topic could be please leave a comment and let me know!