5 Mini Reviews

Inland Empire
I think this movie is trying to hard. Like the filmmaker is trying to be meaningful and meaningless at the same time. Like he put together a bunch of random deeply meaningful scenes with deeply meaningful dialogue together in a meaningless way. Except that deeply meaningful scenes aren’t meaningful without a connection to other scenes. Every scene just made me go “uh… okay… and what is this supposed to mean? What does this have to do with anything else in this movie?” I actually stopped watching about half way through because it went from creepy to scary. I don’t know if I can handle finishing it. Besides being scary, it just wasn't good.

Obsessed
I can sum this movie up in four words; “What a crazy bitch!” That’s what Addie kept saying throughout the entire movie. The story is fairly predictable and unoriginal. It tries to keep the suspense up by constantly putting him in danger and then- oh, good he got out of that one, and then right away again- oh, no, he’s still screwed. Some people might like that kind of suspense and watching all the crazy things that girl does, but it wasn’t very interesting to me.

Bride Wars
Cheesey, predictable, faintly amusing. There’s not enough story line to make it a good movie. It’s just an introduction to the characters and then the rest of the movie is the stuff the girls do to each other to ruin each other’s weddings. The ending was just as cheesey as the rest of the movie- can you say "Baby Wars"?

Bedtime Stories
So funny, so cute. Love Adam Sandler and Russell Brand. It's just a cute, silly kids movie but it's funny for adults, too. I laughed every time the guinea pig with huge eyes was on screen, it's just ridiculous.

The Time Traveler’s Wife
This movie was actually really smart about time travel. Some movies and TV shows with time travel just get it all wrong and it doesn't make sense. This movie explains it all very well. I won't attempt to explain it, but you will understand it in the movie. Every connection is explained, it doesn't make you question anything. Besides the time traveling, it's a really good love story. Really sad. It's just good. Go see it. You might cry.

The Little Pink Book: Fashion Guidelines

I’m not one to have rules for fashion. That seems so contradictory; art can’t have rules. However, there are some simple guidelines that may help you put together outfits that work in shape and color and make you look your best.

Balance
If you wear a loose, oversized, big top then balance the outfit by wearing something more form-fitting on the bottom like skinny jeans or tights. It works the other way as well; if you’re wearing baggy jeans or a poofy skirt, then wear a form-fitting top. If you wear all loose, baggy clothing you will look like a slob. If you wear all form-fitting clothes you might risk looking a bit trashy or just plain odd. A complete outfit combines several shapes, colors and textures.

Patterns
Be careful when mixing patterns. Two very similar patterns, like two different widths of stripes, can make your outfit look too patterned. Also, putting two near-exact patterns or colors next to each other might make it look like you were trying to match them, but they just look off. Sometimes you can mix two different plaids, florals, or stripes and it looks okay. This is why these are guidelines, not rules. You don’t know what looks good until you try it and see.

Lines and Cuts
I’ll admit I joined the capri-length leggings bandwagon when they became popular. Now I can see that cutting your legs mid-calf is not flattering. You have to be aware of how clothes cut your body and how they create lines. Tights that end mid-leg cut your legs into two pieces instead of one long piece, which is always more sexy and visual beautiful. Tights and leggings aren’t the only culprits. Be aware of the shapes and lines garments create on your body. In general, create long lines wherever possible.

Body Shape
Know your body. What attributes do you want to flaunt and which do you want to hide? Each body shape requires clothes than accentuate and fit that shape. One thing that works for all body types is to make your waist look like your smallest part, even if it’s not that much smaller. This illusion can be created by adding a wide belt to almost any outfit. A-line skirts (wider at the bottom than the top) will also make your waist look smaller in comparison. Another accentuation I recommend for all girls is the legs. Black tights should be a staple in your wardrobe because they go with almost anything and will make your legs look long and lean. Combine those with a short dress and heels and your legs will look endless.

Comfort
As a fashionista who is always experimenting with her look, I have done my share of suffering for fashion. I’ve learned that it simply isn’t necessary, and more often than not a painful outfit will look painful. If you’re uncomfortable in too-tight or too-revealing clothes, your body language will show it. The outfit may look great when you’re standing in front of a mirror, but when you’re tugging your shirt down, or fiddling with an itchy accessory all day, you’re ruining your outfit with your behavior. It is possible to wear clothes that feel as good as they look. As for shoes, I’d recommend checking out the wide variety of shoe inserts that help prevent rubbing, slipping and pressure pain before stepping out on the town in your new impossibly-high heels. Trust me; you want to prevent scarring your feet from wearing inappropriate footwear. My feet are a mess from my fashion sins.

Fit
The most important thing about wearing any garment is the fit. The right fit can make so much difference in how you look in a garment. There’s a different between a tight or loose style of garment and just buying a garment a size smaller or bigger to create that look. If anything is uncomfortable, it doesn’t fit properly. The lines of garments should fall in the right place. For example, a loose fitting t-shirt will look slobby if the shoulder seams aren’t at your shoulders. However, you can find loose-style t-shirts that have the seams in the right places and will give you that loose, big look without looking like you’re wearing your pajama shirt in public.

Effort
Pajamas are for sleeping in. Work-out clothes are for working out in. I don’t care if you’re a busy college student and you’re only going to class. Class is in public and pajama pants are not for public viewing. Around the house, with no audience, I’m all for lying around in pajamas, sweat pants, no bra and a stained t-shirt. It’s just not appropriate for public. Even if you’re a very casual dresser and don’t care about being in style, you need to at least wear clothing and undergarments. Unless you want to be mistaken for a homeless person, put just a little effort into an outfit before you leave the house. How hard is it to put on jeans, a bra and a shirt? You may not care what people think, but it’s just cruel to make us look at you in your pajamas with your boobs flapping about under your stained, holey shirt. Have some pride in yourself and your appearance.

Color
I went through a fashion phase where it seemed like all I was wearing was neutral colors (grey, black, white, denim). I got into this funk because whenever I went shopping, I bought things in neutral colors so that I would be able to wear each piece with anything in my existing wardrobe. While it is a good shopping tip to think how a garment will work in your wardrobe before buying, I was too worried about matching all my clothes. When I realized this, I went the total opposite direction and went color crazy. I stopped worrying about what colors went with what colors or if I had anything in the same shade at home to match something. I started combining my neutrals with my colors to create more diverse outfits. Don’t worry about colors “going together” or creating color schemes for each outfit. I think most outfits require a combination of neutrals and colors, but as far as the colors go; I say every color goes with every color. Don’t be afraid of color. Matching is overrated.

Simplify
Coco Chanel said “When accessorizing, always take off the last thing you put on.” Don’t over accessorize. When in doubt; simplify. Don’t buy too many over-embellished clothes and definitely don’t wear them all at once. This is another form of balance. Balance embellished clothes and accessories with simple, basic garments. You never want to look like you’re trying too hard, so before you leave the house take one last look in the mirror and make sure you’re not over doing any aspect of your outfit. If there’s anything that looks like it doesn’t belong, take it off. Less is more.

Tish Vocabulary: Campies

Campies - | camp-eez |

Noun. pl.

people who live permanently in trailers in campgrounds.

similar to: Townies and Carnies

ie. All these campies are gross and fat.

Origin: Kim and I went camping in a campground that was mostly people in permanent trailers, so we named them campies, like townies but in a camp.

Defying Gravity Premiere

First of all, I was excited to see two Canadian actresses in the previews (Christina Cox and Laura Harris) as well as the adorable Ron Livingston.
The show takes place 50 years in the future when a group of astronauts are about to embark on a mission to 7 planets in 6 years. There are a few flashbacks to show the previous relationships between the astronauts which will make their time in space interesting. People are calling it Grey’s Anatomy in space, which I get. It’s a bunch of adults stuck together with lots of complicated personal relationships and intense scientific stuff going on. There’s also a big mystery that some of the people make reference to in the first two episodes, which I think will keep me watching for a while to find out what’s going on.

Four Mini Reviews

One Week
This movie is so Canadian! I love it! I’ve never watched a movie where I thought “Oh my god, I’ve been there!” so much. Or at all. This is a great movie for all Canadians to watch from coast to coast. It shows the beauty of our country as well as our penchant for making giant replicas of animals and objects (like camels and nickels). It’s also about “what would you do if you had one week to live?” It’s like Into the Wild in the way that it makes you think about your life and what’s important and what do you really want to do with your life.



The Proposal
Mostly, really funny. I always love Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds is super cute. Of course, the story line isn’t very original and the ending is cheese on toast, but it was still fun to watch and had some nice touching moments.



The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
Wow, really bad acting. I don’t know why, I’ve seen Dermot Mulroney, Gretchen Mol, and Emily Watson in other movies and they were good. Maybe it was just such a crappy Lifetime movie that they didn’t have much to work with. The story is pretty cheesey with all the coincidences and the ending. It’s about a man who gives up his daughter when she’s born because she has Down Syndrome and tells his wife that she died. They had a twin boy though. The nurse takes the daughter and raises her. It didn’t really explain Down Syndrome, so I didn’t feel like I learned anything from this movie. You could have taken out the Down Syndrome part and it would have still just been a lame Lifetime movie. One thing I liked was the father’s photographs. Really beautiful pictures of his wife and neat things like x-rays.



Hot Rod
I love Andy Samberg. He’s my boyfriend. (Long story short- I had a dream in which he was my boyfriend, so ever since then I’ve called him my boyfriend.) It’s not the best movie because it’s basically an SNL sketch going on forever with weird jokes throughout. It’s still really funny and entertaining, though. And my boyfriend is just so cute and funny I’d watch anything with him.

My Basement Lair

This is my "room" in my parent's basement where I'm living now.

The wardrobe/closet end.

Where I'm sitting right now.

Entertainment set-up.Where the magic happens. Ha ha. Not.Vanity table.From the outside.

Tish Vocabulary: Debitron

Debitron - | deb-i-trawn |

Noun

a debit card

ie. I'm out of cash, so I'm going to have to use my debitron to pay for the movie.
Origin: The Transformers fad inspired robot-sounding versions of words.

Four Mini Reviews

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I didn’t think I liked Woody Allen’s movies, but I loved this one. I like all the characters and their different views on love. It makes one think about what does love mean, what does relationships mean, what does sex mean. It also really made me want to go to Barcelona. It’s so beautiful. I loved the character Maria Elena. She’s crazy and intense and just does what she feels and paints. Loved the wardrobe, too. Casual, light, earth tones. Overall vibe: love and art.


Synecdoche, New York
I love love love Charlie Kaufman’s work. His screenplays are just crazy and all over the place but somehow they make sense. This movie has a lot of random surreal parts, which gives the whole movie the illusion of being a crazy dream this guy is having. It’s all stories within stories and you never know if any of it’s for real. Great cast, weird characters, what you’d expect from a Kaufman movie.


Changeling
Really sad. All about the corruption of the LA police department. Intense because you know it’s a true story. You’re immediately on this woman’s side once she says that the boy is not her son, so you’re rooting for her for the rest of the movie to find her justice.


Risky Business
Pretty much just an R-rated Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Ridiculous premise, obviously just made to give teenage boys something to whack off to, wishing they could do what Joel did. Story along the same line as The Girl Next Door. Loser teenage boy meets call girl/porn star, they get all their friends together to make some money and in the end she gives up her whore ways to be his girlfriend. Every boy’s dream, right?

Movie Lover

It seems that this blog has become all about movies. A film buff, movie geek, cinephile, whatever you want to call it, that's me. I just love movies. I love watching them; being taken into another world for a few hours. I love filmmaking; creating a world from words on a page to be seen on a screen. I love the film industry; making the connections between actors, directors, writers, and producers. I love everything about movies.

(Me at 13 making my first video Summer '03)

I've wanted to be a filmmaker since I was 12 years old when I first got to use a digital camcorder at school. I love capturing moments forever on tape, that will never happen again. I love creating moments to edit together to make a video. I love going through hours of footage to find the best parts to put into a video. I can watch footage I’ve filmed over and over and over while editing it into a video. I can watch some movies over and over and over and still enjoy them, too.

I currently have almost 500 movies (most of them downloaded, shh- don't tell). And my list of movies to see and/or get is just as long (thanks to a year of being on dial-up, unable to download). Some people wonder how I can possibly have time to watch all those movies and my answer is; I have no life, all I do is watch movies. There are just so many movies out there and I want to see them all! Each one is a different experience, they put me in different moods, they make me think about different things, they inspire me, teach me, make me happy, make me sad. A movie is a way to be transported into another world and forget about your world for a while.

So, if you’re going to keep reading this blog, you’d better be a movie fan because this blog is about my life and a lot of my life is movies.

Movie Remakes

There are some remakes coming out soon of classic movies, which brings up the issue of remakes vs originals. I’m looking forward to seeing Russell Brand in the Drop Dead Fred remake. I like the original and I think Russell Brand will be great as the character of Fred. Brand’s humor and mannerisms in movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall look like they’d be perfect for the crude character of Fred. I think this remake won’t be a replacement for the original like some remakes try to be, I think it’ll be a good re-imagining of the same story. I feel the opposite about the Footloose remake, however. As cute as Chace Crawford is, they can never remake something so classic as alien-faced young Kevin Bacon doing his angry dance in the warehouse. They’re going to have to change so much for it to be relevant to kids today because so much of that movies was sooooo 80’s. I bet they change the ridiculously slow tractor chicken game into a high speed sports car chicken game because every movie needs a car chase and/or crash to make any money in the box office. And that’s why studios are remaking classic movies in the first place; to make money.

I understand that producers are tempted to remake movies that have become classics because people liked them so much. However, being that the movie is so great that you want to introduce it to a new generation by remaking it, wouldn't it stand to say that it would be better to introduce the original to the new generation? Some remakes basically recreate the original movie in this time so that people now can understand and relate to it more. And if they like the movie, that could encourage them to see the original as well. As a true film lover, I'm all for getting people to watch movies that they wouldn't normally because they aren't new and mainstream.

I don’t think all remakes are bad though, I even like some better than the original. A lot of people might hate for saying this, but I liked Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory much more than 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Although, I wouldn't consider that a remake because both movies were based on the book, not the second based on the first. Compared to the colorful, vivid world that Tim Burton created, the first movie was slow and dull. Not to mention the music by Danny Elfman in Tim Burton's movie was way better than the weak little ditties the oompa loompas sang in the first. I even downloaded Willy Wonka's theme song to use as my ringtone. The first included some things from the book that the second didn’t, but Tim Burton’s colorful world and Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Willy Wonka made Charlie and the Chocolate Factory one of my favorite movies to watch over and over.

I'm Lovin'... I Know Who Killed Me Wardrobe

Despite what almost everyone else says, I liked I Know Who Killed Me. And I really like Lindsay Lohan's wardrobe. Here's why:



I need to add a pair of brown boots to my shoe wardrobe because I only have black so far. These would be perfect. Sturdy heels, worn leather (although I'd prefer fake leather) and I like the laces.

I love her sweater! The combination of the casual sweatshirt fabric with the unique less casual design is what makes me love it. I was going to write- if anyone knows where I can get something like it, tell me! But then I found something almost identical the other day. And I love it.

Aubrey wears a lot of blue and I think blue looks great on brunettes. I also want Lindsay Lohan's hair in this movie. Once mine grows out, it'll be dark brown and wavy like hers. I love the loose side pony and the black framed glasses. I have a pair of fake glasses like those. I like to wear them to look/feel smart.




This outfit is so cute and retro. I love the hat, it's so 20's. So is the coat. Or around that time, I dunno. All in all, it's cute and feminine and stylish. Definitely not typical stripper outerwear.

My Apartment

My mom and I went to look at an apartment on Thursday and I love it! It's a basement apartment, in someone's house, which is what I had in Thunder Bay. It's really close to my school, nice neighborhood, near a park. The walls are light green and dark purple (not as dark as it looks in the pictures). It's got two big closets (which I need). Washer & dryer just outside the door. The oven is old and small, but I might be able to get a new one from my Grandma's house. Overall, it's awesome and I'm so excited to move in September 1st and live in the city!!!

Here are the pictures.

You come in the door and turn right; this is the kitchen area.
The bathroom, just to the left as you walk in. The bath/shower is to the right of this picture.
Shelves to the left in the bathroom.
One end of the room.
The other end of the room. That's the closet behind the white doors. A nice big mirror on the left.

The Party

My parent’s 25th anniversary/my mom’s 50th birthday party was awesome.

Here are some pictures.

I wrote “Paul + Eileen” in icing on 45 cupcakes the day before.

The cupcakes

The cake (before it got rained on)

Me and my brother Rory

Three generations of women
Marjory (aunt), Val (aunt), Me, Courtney (cousin), Grandma, Lorna (2nd cousin)

Some family friends with me and my mom

My family and Grandparents

All the family that was there
Opening presents
Everyone crammed in under the tent when it started storming

Hanging out after supper in the garage

Three Mini Reviews

Heartbreakers
I learned a lot of good tricks from this movie about a mother and daughter con team. The story line is kind of cheesey what with all the falling in love and such. It's funny and cute. My favorite thing is definitely how they trick men into doing whatever they want just by being sexy, irresistible women.



Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
I can't believe I haven't seen this classic children's movie until now! It's a fun musical made in the 60's, set in the early 1900's, like Mary Poppins. It has the same vibe and even a similar story line and themes as Mary Poppins. Not to mention it also stars the talented Dick van Dyke, oddly enough the only one in the movie without a British accent. The songs are so catchy I've had them all in my head since I saw it. I like the innocent sweetness of old movies like this. I wish life was still so simple that once two people kiss, they have to get married.



Knowing
I love disaster/end of the world movies so I was interested in Knowing because it seemed to be that. I also like scientific movies, so the thing with the numbers interested me. Turns out this movie was actually a lot scarier than I expected. Creepy pale guys dressed in black showing up in the dark all the time really freaked me out. If you like this type of movie, then Knowing will not disappoint.

Coming Attractions

(500) Days of Summer
Well, first of all I love Zooey Deschanel, so I'd want to see anything with her. But I'm more interested in the unique love story between a hopeless romantic (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a girl who doesn't believe in fairytale love (Zooey's character). The title refers to the length of his relationship with the girl named Summer. The movie goes back and forth to show different times of their relationship. I like unconventional love stories, so I think I'll like a movie that combines the two opposing views on love.



Funny People
I've loved Judd Apatow's other two films (The 40-year Old Virgin and Knocked Up) as well as the comedies starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and the rest of the cast. Adam Sandler plays a stand-up comic who is dying. He befriends Rogen's character, a struggling stand-up comic. Then he finds out he isn't sick anymore and has new lease on life. The movie looks like it combines the serious stuff with the comedy very well. I like Adam Sandler in his non-comedic movies as well and I think he and Seth Rogen will make a good pair in a movie like this.



Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I'm a fan of the Harry Potter books and movies, so, of course, I'm excited for the next movie installment of the series. I'll be especially excited if I can see it in 3D. And I'll pee my pants if the whole thing is in 3D, not just the last 20 mins like it was for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This book/movie is when the Harry vs Voldemort thing gets more serious and intense. However, I've heard that this movie is actually more comedic and romantic than the others. They've done a good job of the previous movies, so I think it's safe to assume this one will be as good, or even better.

My Most Irritating Movie Theatre Experience Ever

Although Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was a kick-ass movie, I couldn’t fully enjoy it because of the most annoying girl in the world sitting a seat away from me.

She and her friend talked loudly throughout most of the movie, they repeated funny lines after they were said, and when things got intense (for her, it wasn’t actually that intense) she jumped up and down in her seat and threw her arms up and down like a retarded child, which shook the whole row of seats. All of those things, combined with the anger building in my head, were very distracting from the movie.

About three quarters through the movie, Kim and I were getting really pissed off, and Kim said “You should throw this empty juice box at her if she does it again.” Of course, Kim was just kidding because Kim doesn’t like to cause conflict, and neither do I. However, the next time she went spazzy I just had my own little spaz and quickly grabbed the juice box and chucked it over at her without looking away from the screen.

I saw out of the corner of my eye she and her friend looking at me and talking about it, so Kim and I both got really nervous that they would retaliate. So actually, it didn’t help with the distraction from the movie because after that I was distracted by thinking about what they might do to me. Thankfully, they didn’t do anything. Kim and I left the theatre quicker than usual (I like to stay and watch the credits to make sure we don’t miss any extra scenes and wait for the crowd to disperse) to avoid them just in case. They actually came into the bathroom while we were in there but they didn’t even say anything to me. I was a little disappointed actually, because I had come up with the perfect thing to say to them if they said anything to me: “Well, I would have just asked you politely to stop but it’s rude to talk during a movie.” Ha!

That was by far the most annoying movie watching experience I’ve had. I’ve dealt with annoying kids talking, people saying things out loud during the movie, people getting up often, but never a consistently uber annoying person sitting so close to me. I really hope it never happens again because I might end up throwing more than just an empty juice box at someone.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

It has the same vibe as the first one; clever humor with lots of adventure and action. At some points, although it was really funny, it felt like the humor didn’t mesh into the rest of the movie, it was just stuck in there.

I didn’t like that the transformers became more human-like. They spoke English to each other and new ones acted and looked like humans. It made for more humor, but it just wasn’t consistent with the world these movies created.

I liked learning more about the origin of the cube and the transformers race, which was part of the mystery being solved. Overall, it was just as fun as the first, so if you’re a fan of the first, I’d say this one is worth seeing on the big screen.

Four Mini Reviews

Wendy and Lucy
The kind of slow-paced, character driven indie movie that I love. Michelle Williams is a really talented actress. I never recognize her from one movie to another, which shows how well she gets into character. It’s a good story about giving people chances, and the bonds created between people even when they barely know each other.



Love and Other Disasters
I love the character Jacks. She’s a modern Holly Golightly. There are a lot of things about Jacks taken straight from Holly like Jacks always has trouble finding her keys, her wardrobe, her accent between American and British, and just generally her flighty personality. The story is about fixing people up, and Jacks learns a lesson in love. I loved it. It’s super cute, but not a typical romantic comedy.



Confessions of a Shopaholic
Loves it! Becky Bloomwood is such a fun, cute character. I like the books more, as usual, but I think this movie used the best parts of the first two books to create this fun romantic comedy. I can totally relate to Becky. She says she shops because for a few moments shiny new things make the world seem like a better place and make her feel better, but then that feeling fades, so she has to shop some more. I also love Krysten Ritter. I’ve been a fan of hers since I saw her on Gilmore Girls. I hope gets the opportunity to be a main character soon, not just the best friend.



Inkheart
A fun fantasy film. It creates an interesting world and there’s a fun adventure. It feels a little rushed and incomplete as most movies adapted from books do. I’d watch a sequel if they made one.

The Big Party

On Saturday, July 11th my parents are throwing a huge party to celebrate their 25th anniversary (July 14th) and my mom’s 50th birthday (July 8th). They’ve invited everyone they know from all over the country. My mom wouldn’t give me an exact number, but we have 12 people staying at our house for about 5 days (only 5 actually in the house, the rest in trailers) and they invited everyone from two churches here, my mom’s work, and pretty much everyone one else they know from other places we’ve lived. Of course, the people form further away aren’t all coming. It’s an open house, so it will just be a mess of people coming and going all day.

My parents went to a place to make their own wine, and on Saturday I went with them to bottle it. It was actually kind of fun. It was a little assembly line. First, my mom sprayed some cleaner stuff in the bottle, rinsed them out and stuck them on a thing to dry a bit. Then, my dad filled the bottles using a machine and corked them with another machine. I finished them off by putting the seals on with a heating coil that melted the plastic seal on and then I stuck the sticker labels on. In total we made 30 bottles of white wine and 30 bottles of red wine.

I’m making the cake, of course, and cupcakes. I’m also planning on baking a lot the few days before family gets here. It’s so rare that I have so many people to share my baking with. It’s better than me eating it all and getting fatter.

They’ve rented a porta-potty (or, as my dad likes to call it, a thunder shack) since their septic system couldn’t handle all the people staying for those 5 days. They’ve borrowed a big tent from a friend for shelter/shade outside as well as a smaller one they already have.

My mom’s been going cleaning crazy lately scrubbing down every surface possible and trying to clean out the basement. She enlisted me to help paint the gardening shed to match the trim on the house. My dad bought some concrete the other day to fix some cracks in the garage foundation. Basically, they’re trying to overhaul the whole house to make it as perfect as possible to impress everyone.

I, on the other hand, am worried about impressing everyone myself. Last time I was around this much family was three years ago, the last time we went out west for my grandparents’ 50th anniversary. I felt like I was on display the whole time as “Eileen’s daughter”. I was expected to make pleasant small talk with all these distant relatives and sound impressive and be presentable. It was emotionally draining to try and be perfect all the time. I just wanted to be by myself or just sit and listen.

This time, I’m not so socially stunted so I’ll be better at making small talk with a lot of old people I barely know. Although, for the last year I’ve dreaded having to talk to anyone that I haven’t seen in a while because they would ask me what I’ve been up to. I would have to try to explain why I quit college and say I haven’t even gotten a job here yet. At least now I can try to not talk about my past failures and just tell them about going to college in the fall. At least this time the gathering is at my own house so I can just escape to my room if it gets too much. And the party is only one day of seeing a million people, I can handle just my closer family for the few days they’re staying here. I am excited to see my family, because I don’t very often, but that also means there’s that much more pressure to impress everyone.

I'm Lovin'... Hunch.com

This site is pretty much a big waste of time, but it’s mildly amusing. The basic idea of Hunch is to help you make decisions based on how you answer questions. You can answer questions about yourself to help Hunch get to know you as well as take specific quizzes to help you make a decision like what TV show you would like, or where you should go on vacation.