Why We All Need a Little Brother in Our Lives

So I’ve mentioned my brother a few times now. He’s pretty cool for the most part, except when he makes fun of me. But name me one little brother who doesn’t pick on his sister from time to time? (Besides I usually deserve it. Don’t tell him I said that.)

Today, however, I got to actually get a good laugh at him. Poor kid had to work the day after Christmas, which he really wasn’t looking forward to in the first place, but he got ready and headed to his car to take off anyway.

My family has this tradition that we always wave to each other from the window or doorway. It’s a longtime ritual that first started with my grandma and grandpa. As my grandpa went to work each morning, he wanted my grandma’s face to be the last thing that he saw as he drove off, so every time he left the house, she was there at the window waving to him. If it was dark out, he would flash his lights a couple of times to show that he saw her. His other common signal was to hold up one finger, then four fingers, then just three, which meant “I love you.”  Two generations later, my family still carries this out even to this day. Whenever we leave, we always wave to each other, and my dad often gives the sign for “I love you,” just as his dad did.

Thus I was at the window this morning, ready to wave to my brother as he went off to work. This was how I was able to witness the glorious moment when he carefully looked over his shoulder, slowly backed his car up….and ran straight into our garbage cans.

I’m pretty sure that I laughed for a solid ten minutes straight.

He looked very sheepish as he got out of the car, fixed the cans and proceeded to drive off. I was kicking myself for not having my cell phone ready and in my hand, but I still chuckled about it all day.

However, I started to feel kind of bad as the day wore on. Brother had already been kinda down about having to go to work, plus Life had given both of us a swift kick in the @$% recently. In fact, we had just been talking about how we were feeling kinda bummed before our awesome family came over for Christmas and cheered us up.

So I braved the after-Christmas crowds and did my best to make it up to him:

What you can’t see behind my note is a couple of keychains he’d been wanting too. See, I’m a good big sister. Most of the time.

Harley Quinn makes everything better, right? I think I made the world right again. *puffs chest out*

Incidentally, if you haven’t seen Suicide Squad yet, DO IT. Disclaimer: It’s super dark (obviously) and really not a very wholesome movie. But it’s freaking awesome and probably one of my favorites of the year. Won’t be for everyone, but if you want to see a great action flick (and get some Harley Quinn eye candy) give it a go.

The Hobbit

So I’m on this Hobbit kick lately, which is slowly growing to…what’s that look for? Just because I have a Lord of the Rings collection, an elf fetish and soft spot for giant fire-breathing dragons doesn’t mean that I’m a total…oh, who am I kidding. I’m a geek and a fangirl and proud of it, dagnabbit. And yes, despite the fact that the movies strayed so far from the books, I’ve enjoyed The Hobbit so much that I actually changed my wallpaper and theme for my laptop from The Legend of Zelda. You may not think that’s a very big deal, but I’ve had LoZ as the theme for the past 6-7 years or so. It changes as updates each time the newest Zelda game is released, but still. New computer, same old theme. It only changed one other time several years back, and that was to LotR. And it really didn’t last that long anyway.

Not since the days of Prince Nuada have I instantly fallen in love with a character so easily. That’s saying something. (Don’t worry, Nuada, there’s still room for you in my heart.)

Thanks to Thranduil the movie, I now have a reason to change it for an extended amount of time. Yes, my love of all things elf has been sparked once again. Come on, are you really surprised that Thranduil was my favorite character from the two Hobbit movies? Not really, right? (Though I’ll warn you now, whatever you do, DON’T GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH SPECIFIC CHARACTER NAMES. Sweet cracker sandwich, the fanart some people come up with…my eyes are bleeding just thinking about it. All I wanted was some stinking backgrounds for my laptop, not nekkid reimaginings of some of the most beloved characters ever created. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

Dragons are made of win.

Anywho, my friend and fellow fangirl, the one who made those amazing cookies for my birfday, has been re-watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy with her mother as of late. (We had just watched the newest Hobbit movie together, and while she loved Thranduil as well, I think she was more smitten with Smaug. Though I daresay that’s mainly because of the actor who voiced him rather than the dragon himself.) Anyway, they’ve been watching the original LotR movies together, and her sweet, naïve little mother, who I love just as dearly as my own mom, keeps asking, “Where’s the dragon? Isn’t there a dragon in this?” Every time I see my friend with a new post about it on Facebook, I start laughing. The latest post was as follows:

“Still watching LotR. On the second half of Return of the King.
Mom: Is THIS where the dragon is?
BY THOR’S HAMMER, WOMAN, THERE IS NO DRAGON IN LOTR!!!!!”

She does go on to mention that she still loves her mother, no matter what. I don’t think poor mom could quite grasp how the new movies could be taking place in a different location in the same world, but have events that happened before the older movies. Yeah. Just try to explain it. It’ll make your head spin.

Honestly, it seems almost cruel to tell her WHY the dragon can’t be in the Lord of the Rings. I’m not looking forward to that part in the upcoming movie, even though I know it has to happen. *sniffle* I’ve always liked Smaug. Even if he does have a funny-sounding name. It shall be a sad, sad day.

EDIT TO ADD: I just found out something else that bothers poor mom about LotR. She apparently keeps asking, “Why do the elves have grass? Who is mowing that grass?” Hmm. Now that you mention it, I don’t really know. Maybe that’s what they do in their spare time…?

In which Brother is possibly scarred for life.

I know this has been asked on more than one occasion, but I’ll ask it again, even though I already know the answer. Why the heck do female video game and movie characters always have to wear the most stupid, unrealistic costumes into battle? It’s ridiculous. I don’t see men leaping into war in Speedos. They wear armor/chain mail/bullet proof vests/etc. Oh sure, there are some exceptions. For example, one of the (many!) reasons that I loved the movie Thor was because of the character Sif. (Okay, so the main reason I loved it was because of Loki, but come on, I’m a fangirl – what do you want?)

Sif was awesome for many reasons. She was a killer fighter. She was loyal to her friends. She had realistic armor. And she was still gorgeous. (I’m rather jealous, actually. I really wish I had her hair.) THIS is what femme fatales and other warrior women should be wearing when they go to beat the snot out of someone.

Brother recently started getting into the Devil May Cry games. He knew it would be something I would love to watch, so he began playing what I think is number four in the series the last time we got together for a video game night. Epic scenery despite being an older game, awesome battle moves, and the main storyline is pretty cool. Plus the characters are beautiful and intriguing. (DISCLAIMER: This game isn’t for the faint of heart. Lots of blood, creepy creatures and nightmare-inducing clown-scarecrows. *shudder* It’s rated “M” for a reason. Ye be warned.)

Nevertheless, we’re playing along, enjoying the story and kicking butt along the way. Brother hadn’t played very far into it before, so he’s also enjoying figuring out where to go and what to find, that sort of thing.

Cue the other reason it’s rated “M” with gratuitous scantily-clad bendy Skank Woman who doesn’t believe in wearing underwear. Brother’s jaw dropped and he quickly apologized, making sure to reiterate that he hadn’t seen this part of the game before. Uh-huh. Sure he hadn’t. Naturally, Mom chose that precise moment to walk in and see how we were doing, as she often does. I’m pretty sure that Brother would have rather fallen into a pit of venomous snakes while listening to Miley Cyrus on repeat for eternity than be there with the two of us. We all observed as Skank Woman – having finished disposing of some evil creatures in a rather disturbing manner – saunters over to the main character, jutting her chest out of her snippet of a costume as far as she can.

Not missing a beat, Mom quipped, “Well gee, that’s how I look every morning. Don’t you think?”

“Absolutely,” I replied. “In fact, I was just sitting back here thinking that I need to buy me one of those outfits for work.”

Mortified, Brother kept rapidly hitting buttons in the attempt to figure out how to skip ahead on the game. “OMG KILL ME NOW.”

It just goes to show that tormenting siblings is something that truly never gets old. It also goes to show that we have the coolest mother in the world. But my original question still stands: What gives? Nero’s character is appropriately clad to kill these things. Don’t me wrong, Skank Woman got the job done, too. She just made it look rather…um, dirty. Kind of like Ivy in Soul Caliber.

So come on, video game and movie producers. Don’t completely forget about your female fanbase. Give us more characters like Sif to aspire to, cosplay-wise. Heck, for that matter just give us more movies like Thor in general. Trust me, the world would be a better place.

And All the Memories of Geek Weeks Past…

So I’m lame. With a side of lamesauce. It’s been so busy lately that I’ve neglected my blog for a whole month. I think there’s a special loser dungeon for people like me. Or perhaps some form of torment, I’m not sure. Whatever the case, my humblest apologies.

I had a fantastic post pretty much ready to go at the beginning of August, actually, because it was Geek Week on Youtube. It was also the week of my birthday, so it felt really fitting. I was rather happy with it, so you get to read it even though Geek Week has (sadly) come to an end:

A Very Merry Geek Week To You(Tube)

I love the fact that YouTube is celebrating Geek Week for the next several days. I also love the fact that my birthday falls at the beginning of that momentous occasion. (It was on Sunday, in case you care.) If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, it is very apparent that I am an enormous geek. I read manga before I go to sleep because it’s relaxing, play video games with Husband on a regular basis (he’s not really a geek but he humors me) and give a fangirl squee for every new Marvel trailer that appears. (OMG, I can’t wait for Thor 2. Seriously.)

So it’s only natural that one of my dear friends would want to make me a geek-themed birthday present. She makes these specialty sugar cookies that are to die for. They taste uh-MAZE-ing and are so cute that I always ask for them as a birthday present. She made me dragon eggs one year and a beach party theme on another. This year, however, she really outdid herself and gave me three dozen cookies with themes varying from Doctor Who to Star Wars to Lord of the Rings. And, naturally, I must share the awesomeness.

My first geek response after opening the boxes: “I need to take pictures so that I can post them on Facebook!”

My second geek response: (holding up the Star Trek red shirt cookie) “So I should probably eat this one first, right?” (Okay, so technically it was probably Captain Picard’s shirt because of the decorations on the collar. But dash it all, I thought that was darned clever of me. So there.)

Lord of the Rings cookies included hobbit doors, swords and The One Ring. I think the cookie of the Ring was my absolute favorite out of all of them.

These ones also included Captain America’s shield, the Hulk, Thor’s hammer and Iron Man’s hand. Epic!

Movie/TV themes included Star Wars, Star Trek and Doctor Who. May the Force be with you!

Live long and prosper.

And British flags for all of the other amazing TV series that we love. (Downton Abbey, anyone? I still sob whenever I think of that stupid finale. Not to mention Sherlock, Doc Martin and Keeping Up Appearances. I wish I was British sometimes.)

Bookworms are self-explanatory. For me, anyway.

And finally, video games! Mario and The Legend of Zelda are probably my two favorite games of all time.

I think that adorable Link cookie is right up there with my top favorites. I’m honestly torn between him and Princess Leia.

Random Thoughts

Random thoughts for today, May 28, 2013:

– Benedict Cumberbatch is quite possibly the best British name in the history of British names. Seriously. You cannot say it without a British accent; it would be sacrilege.
– I can’t wait to see Star Trek, a large part because of Benedict Cumberbatch.
– I received some really sound advice today from a little old lady who used to work on the phone for credit card companies, “Keep a smile on your face as you talk to your customer, no matter what. When you hang up the phone, then you can tell them what an idiot they are.”
– I like to think that I have a fairly witty comeback when people ask me if I have kids. I usually smile and say, “Just the furry kind.” The same little old lady mentioned above had the best response ever to that. She just laughed and said, “I take it you haven’t taught your daughter how to shave her legs yet?” Made my day.
– Downton Abbey is uh-MAY-zing. Enough said.
– I’m running out of random thoughts. That didn’t take long.

Hmm. I guess that’s it for now. I’ll be sure to keep you all informed of the next random thoughts that run through my head.

EDIT TO ADD: Wait a minute, why is it telling me that my post is dated the 29th? What time zone is my blog in? I know for a fact that it’s the 28th…maybe. *Twilight Zone music here*

My Go-To Movies/Character Profile

Things like THIS make my day! Excuse me, but I feel the need to go do a happy dance somewhere. *happy dance*

I was reading Nayu’s blog the other day, and she mentioned having a “go-to” movie for when she just wanted something familiar. You know, that one movie that’s your all-time favorite that you could watch over and over and never get sick of it. The movie that you can quote forwards and backwards that’s always the first one that you pop in when you’re sick on the couch. I think I have too many go-to movies to list entirely, but some of my top faves include The Patriot, Hellboy II, The Princess Bride, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The first two are obviously my action/drama picks, and the second two are my comic reliefs. It depends on what I’m in the mood for.

The Patriot was the first R-rated movie that I ever saw in the theater. (And yes, I was 17. I’m boring like that.) I went with my dad for a “father-daughter” date. I remember how heart-wrenching it was to watch, but how proud I felt of our country by the end. Honestly, I wish we as Americans could remember what our country was founded on and how many men and women gave their lives for our freedom. I think we tend to take it for granted nowadays. (Myself included.) But it’s a movie that stirs me even to this day, so I tend to watch it on a semi-frequent basis.

Seriously, love this movie. *nomnomnomnom*

Hellboy II: The Golden Army actually helped inspire Prince of Light. I fell in love with Prince Nuada (fangirl squee!), and his character was a big part of crafting Prince Celestyn. I like to think of Prince Celestyn as a mixture of Prince Nuada, Link from Legend of Zelda and Elrond from Lord of the Rings. I will watch Hellboy over and over just to see Prince Nuada fight. *wipes drool from keyboard* Ahem. Moving on.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite of ours for as long as I can remember. I could probably quote the whole thing if I really tried. I’m still shocked at the number of people who haven’t seen it or even HEARD of it. They stare at me blankly when I cry out, “You killed my father – prepare to die!” It’s inconceivable. Really.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights is my all-time favorite Mel Brooks movie. Yes, it’s kinda dirty, but gosh-darn if it isn’t funny. I don’t like all Mel Brooks films. Some of them go too far for my taste. But as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing better than Robin Hood, Spaceballs, and Young Frankenstein when it comes to slapstick comedy.

So, since I’ve already mentioned Prince Celestyn once, we might as well make the next character profile his!

Character Name: Prince Celestyn (pronounced “SELL-uh-steen”)
Age: 648 years old
Gender: Male
Physical Appearance: 6’, 170 lbs. Light skin, long white hair, pointed ears. As an elf, he is naturally graceful but he is also exceptionally strong from years of training.
Family: Father is King Branimir of the Realm of Lior. Younger brother is Prince Acanthus. His mother died when he was just a child, and his older brother, Prince Vladmyr, was killed roughly three centuries ago.
History: He never really got over his brother’s death, and it was the reason that he left the Realm of Lior. He and Vladmyr had just discovered and rescued Delanor when his brother was taken and brutally murdered. Consequently, Celestyn became a rogue and decided he wanted nothing to do with wearing the crown. After meeting Evanthe, however, he begins to realize that he is growing tired of being alone.
Any nicknames? Not many are that familiar with him, though Acanthus sometimes refers to him as “Cel” to remind him that he no longer really has a kingdom.
What kind of personality does this character have? Elves are quite aware of how powerful their presence is, and Prince Celestyn understands much in the ways of the world. Though he has been through many hellish circumstances in his lifetime, he carries himself with confidence and authority. Some may see him as brutal, but those close to him know that he is capable of kindness when he chooses.
Likes: Training, combat, forging swords, reading.
Dislikes: The Others, the Eagle tribe.
Greatest fear? In truth, he doesn’t really have any fears anymore. Vladmyr’s death took those away.
Favorite Color(s): Green.
Strengths: He is a master of the sword. He was trained by the greatest elven warriors when he and his brother were young, and has managed to learn multiple weapons over his lifetime. His natural speed and agility as an elf have served to make him virtually unstoppable in close-range battle. He also possesses the ability to control some elements.
Weaknesses: Pride and the inability to believe in the good in others. Years of war and hatred have hardened his heart.
What actor could you picture playing this character? No one at this time, sadly. Just please don’t let it be Orlando Bloom or Robert Pattinson. PLEASE.

Scary Movie Nights and the Creepy Door

Photo © http://www.opacity.us

My friend and I are avid movie freaks. Specifically, we’re scary movie freaks. We don’t enjoy slasher movies or disgusting horror that doesn’t do anything but create shock value, but a genuinely creepy storyline with a great twist or a psychological thriller is totally up our alley. And nothing thrills us more than when we get to see our favorite scary movie special guest, Mr. Creepy Door.

Creepy Door has played a variety of roles in his lengthy career. Who could forget his eerie, menacing glow in Hide and Seek? Or his brave performance in Paranormal Activity? Yes, my friend and I decided that we are the official “Creepy Door Fan Club.” When you hear that signature squeak, you know that Creepy Door has made his grand entrance.

Photo ©IMDB

We just finished watching The Woman in Black the other night, with Daniel Radcliffe. (He’s in the movie, we didn’t actually watch it with him. Although that would have been really cool. Now I’m going to have to add that to my bucket list. [scribble scribble] Watch…movie…with Daniel…Radcliffe…) It was surprisingly creepy in a non-gore sort of way, with a few really good hair-raising moments. It even had a little bit of a twist at the end, which was an added bonus. All in all, not a bad flick. We’ve seen so many scary movies at this point that we’ve earned the right to be picky, in my humble opinion, so two thumbs up from us means that it must be pretty good.

Daniel Radcliffe surprised me. I’ve not actually watched any of the Harry Potter movies except the first one. *gasp* Truth be told, I didn’t care for it. That’s weird for me, an avid fantasy lover. But what can you do? Give me Hellboy II or Lord of the Rings any day. (Have I mentioned that I love elves? I have? Really? Huh.) Ahem. Uh, where was I? Oh yeah, Daniel. Yes, he was quite good. Talented little actor, he is.

Now I’m distracted by thoughts of Prince Nuada. [Brain reorganization in process.]

So now that we’ve finally seen The Woman in Black, I’m not sure where to go next. It seems like the scary movie/horror genre, especially when it comes to cleaner horror, is extremely hard to come by. The classics will forever remain the classics, and Creepy Door will remain an icon in our hearts. But if the trend of horror continues the way I think it will, I might actually have to start turning to more books to get my scary story fix. (Truth be told, they’re probably the best anyway.)

What do you think? Are you a scary movie fan?

Happy Star Wars Day!

Ah, dear Star Wars. How I love thee. I remember the first time that my dear father asked me if I had ever watched Star Wars. When I replied no, he gave me a look of horror and immediately went to the video store (back when we actually had video stores and not Netflix) to get the entire original trilogy. (That was back when there was only one trilogy as well.) I was probably eleven or twelve around that time, which meant that the original movies had been out for a quite a while, probably a good ten years or so. But they were still awesome, just as they are now.

I think what makes Star Wars so endearing to my heart is the memories of getting to spend time with my dad. My dad was (and is) totally awesome about these. Some of my favorite memories of all time come from “father-daughter dates” to movies. We watched all of the new Star Wars movies that came out, eagerly waiting in anticipation for the next release. We watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Patriot, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy; he even suffered through Titanic with me. He used those times to teach me the qualities that I needed to look for in a guy, what to expect on a date, etc. Because the nearest movie theater at the time was a good half hour to forty minutes away from our small town, we got to spend that time talking about life in general.

But Star Wars brought it about, from the very beginning. We sat down that afternoon and watched the entire original trilogy in its full glory and I fell in love with it. Darth Vader was my new favorite misunderstood villain, I had to re-watch the scene with the Death Star at least a couple more times to get the full effect of its awesomeness, and my dad and I had yet one more thing to gab about into the wee hours of the evening.

So here’s to you, Dad. Thanks for introducing me to what is perhaps one of the greatest series of all time, and for teaching me how to respect myself and others. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me and all that you’ve inspired. Have a Happy Birthday this coming Monday, and Happy Star Wars Day.

I don’t own Star Wars. Obviously.