Another No Movie Monday

This weekend was a busy one.  Well...not really.  I usually have Fridays off, but I had to go into the Archives to make up some hours I missed at the beginning of the week.  There's nothing better than spending your Friday sorting legislative mail to the Senate Finance Committee.  Or not.  But anyway, Fridays are usually my homework day, so needless to say, I had a lot to catch up on Saturday and Sunday.  I have two papers/projects due this week, plus a presentation.  Yikes!  It really is that time of the semester.  So what was my study break this weekend you ask?  

This guy right here.  Simon Baker.  He's the star of the TV series The Mentalist.  My sister and grandma got me hooked on it over the Easter weekend.  I'll admit, it didn't take much to get me hooked...I mean look at the guy.  And it's a crime procedural.  I was pretty much sold.  In the show, he's a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (which I am sure is not a real thing, but maybe it is).  In his past, he pretended to be a psychic.  In reality, I think he is probably just really good at deduction.  He's kind of like a quirky, contemporary, U.S. version of Sherlock Holmes (although Simon Baker is actually Australian).  After much searching -- yep, I'm putting those library skills to good use -- I found the series online.  And the rest is history!

So...after typing all this out I just realized that I actually went to the movies this weekend.  Like to the actual theater!  Wow, I think I need a vacation.  But I saw Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  Great movie -- you can't really go wrong with Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. Seriously check it out if you get the chance!

fill in the blank friday.

1.  Today is a good day because   I'm making up some hours that I missed in the Archives and making some hard earned cash!   .

2.   The best thing I did all week was    ummm...staying in IL for an extra half a day on Monday.  Definitely.   .

3.  The current weather is     sunny       and it makes me feel     happy  .

4. The best thing about spring is    the colors.  I've been getting into green lately.  And the flowers!  The lilacs were blooming while I was at home.  And there's just something in the air in spring .

5. A fashion trend that I'm dying to try out for spring is   Like I said, I'm into the color green this year.

6. A person who made me smile this week was   my coworkers in the Archives yesterday.  I don't think I've ever had so much fun at work.  We were definitely having a party!   .

7.  The most delicious thing I ate all week was   don't judge me, but I went through the drive thru for a chicken biscuit this morning.  I had to drop off a friend to catch the shuttle at 6 am, so I thought I would reward myself for waking up during the 5 am hour!   .

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

xo

Hope

Thursday = Nerd Day

Yep, so true.  I owe my grasp of grammar to Mrs. Wagoner.  3rd-5th grade would not have been the same without her.  Every one has a teacher who helps to mold them into the person they are today.  She is one of those people.  Not only would she not even acknowledge your presence if you asked a question  containing a grammatical error, but she taught us to be good writers.  Having her for English for three years during primary school gave me the confidence I needed to succeed as I grew older.  I knew I was a  strong writer and I have carried that with me ever since.  And she taught me some mad typing skills too.  I don't know how many times I typed "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."  I still remember it, so probably a lot.  Her class is proof that advanced placement/gifted programs at the elementary level truly do make an impact on students.  Without her, I wouldn't be winning debates by default...and so many other things.

Girl Can Ball

I don't care what you say.  Baylor's Brittney Griner can flat out ball.  The 6'8" junior has had to endure a lot.  Just Google her name -- you'll see what I mean.  People say she's a man.  They say she's a lesbian.  Let me go on the record and say that this makes me so angry!  She didn't choose to be 6'8".  She didn't choose her body.  The girl probably can't even find clothes that fit her.  She defies traditional beauty and what it means to be feminine.  She has taken this criticism (and maybe even hate) with grace and a quiet confidence.  The girl has sick post moves.  It takes a triple team to stop her -- and even that doesn't work most of the time.  She's a game changer whether she's scoring points or not.  Just her presence on the court affects the opposing team's game plan.

  

And tonight, she lived up to all the media hype.  26 points.  13 rebounds.  And finally a national championship for the Baylor Lady Bears.  Their motto all season was "Unfinished Business."  It's finished now, Brittney. First team in NCAA history to go 40-0.  Keep dunking like a girl!

Tuesday Tune-Day: Back to My Country Roots

The weather is getting warmer.  Less than a month left of the spring semester.  I can almost taste summer.  And for me, that means one thing...it's time to turn up the country music.  There's just something about summer that takes me back to my roots.  I was raised on country.  I spent my high school days driving past cornfields with the windows down and 97.3 turned way up on my way home from basketball or band.  I don't listen to country that often anymore, but when the weather gets warm I definitely go through a phase.  And this song pretty much sums it up.  I can't wait for some barefoot blue jean nights!

Movie Monday: Confessions of a Political Junkie

Allow me to offer my sincerest apologies to those of you who expected a post about The Hunger Games movie.  While I did go see it in the theater this week with a great group of friends (and truly enjoyed it), The Ides of March will be the subject for the next paragraph or so.  I didn't get around to watching it on 15 March, so the last day of the month had to do.  I was enthralled with this movie.  And not just with Ryan Gosling and George Clooney.  Based on the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon, The Ides of March is everything political junkies like me love:  genius strategy, lust for power, the effects of hubris, backstabbing, scandal.  It's like a chess match -- and the winner gets the presidency.  It gives a great insight into the darker, behind the scenes life of politics.  

If you're like me and have campaign buttons on your fridge or you follow Hillary Clinton on Twitter or you check 5 different news sites multiple times a day to keep up with what's going on in Washington...this is the movie for you.

Weekend Update: Pint-Sized Historians and My First Sunburn of the Season

I've discovered that southern Indiana is actually a beautiful, beautiful place.

When I woke up this morning to the sound of thunder rumbling off in the distance somewhere in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, I had no idea that I get my first sunburn of the year.  I woke up early.  6:30 am.  On a Sunday.  And I did it to watch a soccer match.  Online.  Am I crazy?  Probably.  But nothing could keep me away from watching the U.S. Women's National Team take on Japan.  The U.S. didn't play very well, but they eked out a 1-1 draw.  One day, I swear I'll have cable so I can watch games on TV.  And hopefully, one day (and hopefully that day will be in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London), the USWNT will beat Japan.

How on earth did I wake up at 6 am every day this weekend?!  Yesterday I judged the Southern Regional National History Day Competition in Nashville, Indiana.  I evaluated exhibits from middle school students.  It was a great experience to ask them questions and see how they are able to use primary sources and complete some pretty impressive research projects on the Manhattan Project, Florence Nightingale, the history of fast food, and the Stolen Generation of Australia to name a few.

But back this whole sunburn thing.  This morning it rained.  And it rained.  And it rained some more.  So I stayed in bed and pulled the covers over my head and enjoyed the cool 50-degree morning.  I drank a cup of coffee and listened to the rain through my open window.  This morning I realized that the sound of rain on a roof or running out of a downspout might be one of my favorite sounds. Then I remembered that I was supposed to go on a hike this afternoon with a friend (and her dog!).  Luckily, it cleared up just in time.  And boy did it!  By 3:30 it was 80+ degrees with not a cloud in the sky.  So we took Clear Creek Trail for a two hour hike.  It was definitely a great study break.

After a productive weekend, it's time to kick back and watch the NCAA Women's Final Four!