I Wanna Do Bad Things With You

I spent my entire day today watching the entire first season of HBO's True Blood. I've already talked about how much I love vampires (I've tagged 13 blogs with "Twilight"). For years I've been reading vampire fiction and lusting over them, and Twilight completely solidified that love in the fall, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with True Blood... I mean, check out that sexy poster!

I really liked it, which I suppose one could have assumed judging by the fact that I watched 12 episodes in one day. It was like Twilight for adults - the basic girl falls for vampire, has canine-esque guy friend who is into her, vampire and guy friend have to join to protect girl... all very similar to our favourite teenage vampire saga, and a bonus of no stupid sparkles, breathy staring at each other scenes, and the girl can take care of herself. That being said, it also includes a whole lot more sex, nudity, and drugs than the sexual tension that the teen vampires tiptoed around. It is definitely an adults only vampire saga.
True Blood is set in small-town Louisiana, which I have been enamoured with for years (perhaps since seeing Skeleton Key? I'm not sure, but I've wanted to go for years because it seems like a sexy place).


Thanks to the development of Tru Blood artificial blood, vampires have been able to come out of the coffin and show themselves as a species, lobbying for the vote and equal rights. The discrimination against vampires is still strong, however, and the storyline revolves around the brutal murders of human women who are associating with vampires.


My favourite part of the storyline has to be the relationship between Sookie, a human, and Bill, a vampire (our Bella and Edward). They made me so happy like Edward and Bella did, we follow them from the time they meet through their turmoltuous relationship that is created by their differences. They have to overcome their own fears and prejudices and those of their own kind and learn to risk and trust in order for their relationship to work.

There are, of course, many other aspects of the storyline that will keep you sucked in and wanting more. Season 2 doesn't start until later this year, and I can't wait! Catch up now while you can guys!
And, if all of my sexy pictures and my semi-coherent (I'm on cold meds) descriptions didn't draw you in, watch the opening credits. They are amazingly well done and make me want to move south immediately, and they touch on all of the shows major aspects: life and death, sex and religion, the natural and the unnatural.

Oscar Night Faves

If you follow me on Twitter (it's @ewalker9), you know I spent my evening watching the Oscars. I missed the first bit because I was on Skype with my Mom, and I hear the opening was great, as were Tina Fey and Steve Martin. I loved the new format, where for the major awards, past winners announced the nominees. I found it so much more personal, and it definitely made me teary on a few occasions (Best Actress, anybody?). Having only seen a few of the movies in the awards this year (only Mamma Mia and Benjamin Button I do believe), I wasn't hardcore rooting for anyone. However, Kate Winslet winning Best Actress made me really happy because I really like her. And how adorable was her speech?? Getting her Dad to whistle made me so happy!! And acknowleding Meryl Streep's greatness in her speech was so good. Also, Heath Ledger's family accepting the award and celebrating him instead of mourning him was great!
Now, in pictoral form, here are the people and outfits that made me most happy tonight:

John Legend. I freaking love this guy. His voice is beautiful, I kind of wished his performance could have been by itself, he was really stunning with the Peter Gabriel song. And check out his suit! A little retro, a whole lot of hot.


Oh Brad. I'm not a fan of the facial hair, I must admit, but otherwise you are a good lookin' fella. I loved you in Benjamin Button (I meant to post about it, but forgot, maybe I'll do that soon). I think the fact that we can see you getting wrinkles only make you hotter - you've gone from pretty boy to distinguished man and I like it.


RPattz!! I was crazy happy to see you on the red carpet, and then you presented and I turned into a squealy fangirl. And when they did a close up on Mickey Rourke during Best Actor, I saw you over his shoulder, which made the Mickey close up more than bearable. Most importantly, you hair doesn't look like it could eat me or like it contains small forest animals, I like it.


Taraji P. Henson was amazing in Benjamin Button and is super cute in all of her interviews. She looked stunning in that beautiful dress. I would totally consider a dress like that for a wedding dress, I love that classic shape and the un-traditional material!


I have a giant girl crush on Natalie Portman. She is just so freaking cool. She was hilarious with Ben Stiller, and the dress is classically beautiful!


I know it's been on some worst dressed lists, and I know many people (myself included) are not Miley Cyrus' biggest fans, but I freaking love this dress! She looks so grown up in it, and it gives a beautiful silhouette. I just think the dress is gorgeous!


Kate Winslet... another of my girl crushes. I'm so glad she won! I wasn't certain about this dress at first, but the more I saw it, the more I liked it. It suits her perfectly! I usually don't like one-shoulder dresses because it makes your boobs look uneven, but this one works well. I like the a-symmetry and the combination of the gunmetal grey and lace. Way to go, Kate!


And finally, Anne Hathaway. I wasn't sure about this dress at first either, mostly due to the giant gap in the top of it, but it also grew on me. I love how sparkly it is and I love the colour, a daring one for someone so pale (like myself). She looks beautiful, and her expressions during the speeches were adorable, she was so excited and invested, made me happy!

So there we go, those aspects of the Oscars made me the most happy this evening. If you want my other thoughts as it happened, go follow me (@ewalker9) on Twitter. Happy Oscar Night, everyone!

The Letter N

Lindsay over at Adventures of a Book Thief made a list of 10 things she liked that start with the letter m, and gave me the letter n for mine.
Leave a comment if you want me to give you a random letter for a meme of your own!


1- Night - I am almost entirely nocturnal if given the option, I would much rather sleep all day and stay up all night.
2- Neverland - Not the Michael Jackson place. Peter Pan is one of my favourite books ever, and the newer live version of it is one of my favourite movies. I would love to live in Neverland with the pirates and mermaids and Indians, and never have to grow up.
3- Nosferatu - Basically synonymous with "vampire". I have had a healthy obsession with vampires for years now, much before the Twilight Saga came out, I read Companions in the Night and Dracula and dreamed of running with the vampires.
4- North - I live in the Great White North, and I really do like it here, though I am not technically all that nothern, as I was born about an hour away from Canada's Southernmost Point (Point Pelee and Pelee Island, in case you were wondering), so technically I have spent most of my life more south than most of Canada and some of the US.
5- Narwhal - What a freaking cool animal. It's got a freaking unicorn horn, do I need to say more?
6- Ned from Pushing Daisies - He's completely adorable! Ned could bring me back from the dead and solve mysteries with me any day.
7- North by Northwest - A Hitchcock classic with Cary Grant. Action packed and full of lines such as: "You're a big girl in all the right places", you can't go wrong.
8- Nano - As in, my iPod 3G Nano. I rarely go anywhere without it. It gets me through my hour commutes to and from work.
9- Nerds - The candies! I especially love the green and yellow ones, in sour and normal.
10- Number 36 - The Dave Matthews Band song. Here, Wikipedia tells us a bit about it's history:

Four days after his assassination, the rock group Dave Matthews Band (whose lead singer and guitarist, >Dave Matthews, is from South Africa) began playing a song, #36, to honour Hani. A live favorite for years, the music evolved into the basic foundation of the 2001 single, Everyday. The Introduction to the popular hit "Everyday" starts with the crowd singing "Honey, Honey, come and dance with me", and the crowd and band occasionally use the reprise as an outro to the song as well. (It was originally written as "Hani, Hani, come and dance with me," but Matthews believed the song to be too cheery with those lyrics, so he changed it.)

Here you can watch it:

25 Things

This has been going around Facebook like wildfire. After being tagged a few times, I thought I would avoid doing housework by doing one myself. And, because it makes good blog fodder, here you go, 25 random things about yours truly.

1. My initials spell EEW. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
2. As a kid (okay, until a few years ago) I had an unhealthy obsession with moose. Like, as in the animal.
3. I own movies that I've never watched.
4. I have bought myself a "Ferret Frenzy" calendar every year now for 4 years, we started with World Tour, then it was TV Shows, then At the Movies, and now On Vacation. It's ferrets posed in different scenes, wearing clothes and acting out something, in case you were wondering. For February, they are on a cruise ship, dressed in cruise clothing, one is sitting in a deck chair and the other is looking over the side of the ship.
5. I might just singlehandedly keep Matt & Nat handbags in business. I've lost track of how many I have.
6. At our last vet visit, Thunder Kitty weighed 25 pounds. He is on diet kibble now, but I think it's only called "diet" because it must not taste good, he does not like eating it. I realize this is not at all about me... but the reason he is on diet food is so that the vet doesn't judge me as a bad mother when I bring him in.
7. Since last April, I have watched my mother battle - and beat - bowel cancer. It brought our family close together, and made me realize how amazingly strong and beautiful my mother is.
8. I have been on anti-depressants for my anxiety disorder for over 6 years now, it may not be everyone's best option, but it has worked for me.
9. If given the option, I could easily be completely nocturnal.
10. I loved the Twilight series way more than I will admit to most other people (unless they share the obsession). I feel like a 15 year old girl when I admit that New Moon made me cry.
11. I want to travel the world, but first I need to find someone to do it with me because I'm way too chicken to do it alone.
12. I think Dave Matthews is a genius. I would put my anti-adultery morals aside for him. (Too much info? Sorry guys!)
13. I get stressed out when other people are arguing / not getting along, even if I have nothing to do with it.
14. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I like working at the shelter, but I know it's not forever. I don't ever want to feel bored or unhappy with my job.
15. I have considered getting a tattoo, but I am too scared of commitment and permanence.
16. I can't watch those OSPCA commercials on tv without being tempted to adopt them all. If I had a large piece of land and unlimited funds, I would likely adopt a tonne of abused or abandoned animals.
17. I go through periods where I can't get enough of a certain food, and then all of a sudden I can't stand the thought of it and move on to another food. Current food: eggs.
18. I can't decide if I like Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi better. Lately I've been on a Diet Pepsi kick. I drink way more Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi than I should, but I do not like the non name brand colas, I can taste the difference.
19. I like driving. Not so much in the GTA or on 400-series highways, but on the country highways. However, if I had a choice, I would take the train, I love riding the train.
20. I will always love Kenesserie Camp. I would go back to work there in a heartbeat if it was at all feasible for me. It is the first place that I have ever loved.
21. My sister is in New Zealand right now. I cannot even fathom how far away that is.
22. I miss the camping trips we used to go on as a family. The east coast twice, the west coast, Kentucky, South Carolina, Northern Ontario...
23. I had kidney surgery when I was 3 years old. I have a scar across my side that has grown up with me. If given the choice, I don't think I would want to get it removed. That scar is a part of me now.
24. I can bake, but I cannot cook. I almost always screw it up when I cook.
25. I love board games. Most nights I would rather stay in and play them than go out. I love Cranium and Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly.

On Homes

So, I've known about this for a while, but was bound to secrecy by my family until they began to tell people. Mom and Dad bought a "farm". I say farm, I mean 60-something acres of land about 45 mins from where we live now that has 2 small sections that are cleared for farming and the rest is forest. Dad hasn't been this excited in a long time (if ever...). Here they are on Boxing Day posing with their Sold sign:

My Mom, looking beautiful in spite of having spent the past year battling cancer, and my Dad, looking about as excited as a kid in a candy store, and their "farm". Mid-life crisis much?

It is a pretty large property, with a small section of farm land on either side. There is a creek that runs through it, branching off into a Y shape in the middle. It's a 5 minute drive from a beach on Lake Erie. Over the next couple of years, they plan to bring the trailer out there and spend weekends on the property. Ultimately, but not for a while, they plan to build a house on the property.

I have mixed feelings about this.

Part of me is not pleased. We have lived in our old farm house since I was in grade 2. I'm attached. Mom and Dad have put in a ton of work on the house, and the majority of my childhood memories are there. That house and its location... well, it is home to me. I am fairly attached to it, even to the town we live outside of. I hated that town growing up, but perhaps absence really does make the heart grow fonder, as I feel nostalgic and proud of it now. There was once a time that Mom and Dad planned to live in our house the rest of their lives, in fact, if you had asked me a year ago, I would have been certain that they would never move.

But Dad has always wanted a forest, that is where he is at his happiest. Give Dad walking shoes and his Tilley hat and leave him with the bugs and plants and animals and he will be content. And I think this past year has shown my parents that they have to stop putting off what they want to do. A brush with your own mortality will make you think twice about your priorities in life.

Oh, and the possibilities. I love the idea of it all. Buying a plot of land in the country, designing and building your own house in the middle of the woods... it sounds amazing. We might force him to put in internet and tv, but if Dad had his way he would live as a hermit, completely cut off from the world. I know he dreams about being self-sufficient, off the grid. Mom wants the house to overlook the ravine where the creek runs, and Dad has talked about having a huge glass wall. Their house (in my head) will look like my idea of the Cullen's house in the Twilight book, and the Cullen's house in the movie.

Remember this, anyone?



So, I suppose I'll have to wait and see. What will they do? When will they do it? What will it look like? How will I let go of the house I love now? What's most important, really, is that Mom and Dad are happy. And maybe that they stop mentioning that the forest will be fantastic for their grandchildren to play in.

A Nice Year

Over at Operation NICE they have NICE Assignments from time to time, and I really liked the idea behind this one:

Today's Assignment: Celebrate 2008!
I know how you folks are a bunch o' list-makers out there, so let's try it one last time this year. I want you to make a list of all the wonderful things that you've done or have happened to you in the last 12 months. It could be events you attended or awards you received or priceless moments that will help you recall 2008 with great fondness. Or maybe even silly things that might seem trivial to someone else! (e.g. Buying a Wii is totally on my list!) Either way, the more items, the more smiles you'll find!

Here is my list of 2008:

• Going on a cruise with my family to ring in the New Year - getting to explore Carribbean islands and relax on tropical beaches
• Surviving the bus crash
• Getting close to the fantastic people in my CYW class
• Using tools to make and open drinks with Stace, more than once
• Cousinly weekends with a St Patty's Day parade
• Going to the ROM and taking silly pictures there with Stace
  
• Thunder Kitty's first birthday
• Movie dates with Stace
  
• DMB CONCERT
• Getting to spend time at home in the summer with Mom relaxing on the porch in between camps
• The drives to and from HD camp in the summer, cruising with the windows down and the music up
  
• Finding a placement that I really loved
• Growing closer with my family during tough times
• Weekends with the camp girls - multiple
  
• Nuit Blanche avec Mel
• Starting to blog again and the wonderful new bloggy friends I have met
• My 23rd Birthday and Thanksgiving
  
• MOM BEATING CANCER!!
• The support from my family and friends I have received throughout the cancer ordeal
• The Twilight Saga (nerd alert!)
• Finding the courage to take a shot on the online dating thing
  
• Reuniting with first year roomie
• Spending Christmas with my family
• Finishing my CYW program (with honours, I might add!)
• Getting a job at the placement I loved
• Learning that I am stronger than I ever thought I was
• Feeling that I am kinda sorta grown up, living and working on my own in the big city
• Becoming more self aware and self reflective as well as more self confident
  

I think writing this list was important. The events that have happened this year were pretty sucky at times, so much so that my family and I have been joking that 2008 was pretty much the worst year ever. But even though so pretty major bad things happened, a lot of good things still happened. And, I suppose, if those bad things had to happen, I'm glad they happened the way they did. Not only was it the best possible outcome for all events, but it also showed me that I have family and friends there to always support me, and that I am much stronger than I thought.
So, thanks, 2008, you were tough, but we made it. Here's to an easier 2009, with some things changing and others staying the same. Wait and see I guess!

Good News, Ladies!

Everyone's favourite fictional vampire, Robert Pattinson (or RPattz, as I lovingly call him) no longer looks as though there may be a small family of woodland animals living in his hair.
Remember this?

Much better, RPattz, I am a fan of the early 90's grunge revival look minus the actually dirty hair. And the fact that you're carrying a guitar just made me swoon a little.

Via The Superficial.

No More Slacking!

I've been slacking on my blogging this week, thanks to it being the last week of school and therefore crazy busy. It's done now, though, I am officially now a university AND college graduate! BA and CYW... I am getting closer and closer to my goal of having the entire alphabet behind my name. So tonight I get to go celebrate with my friends, and tomorrow I am packing up and heading home to my parents' house to work for them sellin' the bling at their store before Christmas. I love working at the store, I've worked there every Christmas season since I was in grade 11... what is that, going on 8 years now? And I grew up at the store practically. It wouldn't be Christmastime without spending the weeks before it selling jewellery wrapped up in pretty boxes by me. Anyhow, I am back there working again on Monday, and until then plan to be reading Breaking Dawn, because I banned myself from it this week while I tried to get work done, and now my ban is over - sweet!

And now, this week's Friday Five, this week's theme is Not Mine:
1) When did you last sleep in a bed outside your home?
I don't like sleeping at other peoples' houses very often, so it was likely the last time I went home and slept in my room at my parents' house, which doesn't count does it because I consider it home too. Before that... I guess it was camp in the summer?

2) When did you last drive someone else’s car?
I drive my parents' car sometimes when I am home.

3) When did you last cook in someone else’s kitchen?
The other night I made myself food at Sam's house when we were studying.

4) When did you last care for children who aren’t yours?
Umm Wednesday? That's kind of my job.

5) When did you last do someone else’s job?
I am always trying to help out and do what I can for my coworkers, so I guess the work I did at my placements counts, because it's not technically my job.

Nerd Alert!

I took a Twilight Facebook quiz and my results are:This made me squeal a little bit. I am officially a nerdy fangirl.


I promise a non-Twilight related post in the near future. Okay, maybe not promise... until I am done the series there can be no guarantees.

On Washing Hair

Sometimes I get a little lazy... especially when it comes to washing my hair. When I have nothing important to look good for, I can go days without washing it (you can't really tell with thick curly hair, I swear), but usually after a few days, I give in. Robert Pattinson (Edward of Twilight and Cedric of Harry Potter fame) takes my hair washing laziness to a new level:

Twilight star Robert Pattinson is our kind of teen idol: the sort of guy who calls his chest hair "early pubes" and stumbles out of Crown Bar at 1:45 am, unshaven, bleary-eyed and slurring. Most young girls prefer their locker-room pinups to be clean and unthreatening, but Pattinson doesn't quite fit that mold, and at an appearance last night in New York (where the actor was greeted with Beatles-worthy shrieking), he seemed determined to push his young fans' tolerance of the scruffy, Silver Lake aesthetic as far as it would go:

The audience, made up mostly of screaming girls, went nuts when Pattinson showed up, shrieking "I love you" to the British thespian. Pattinson responded with a bemused "thank you" to very boisterous declarations of adoration, but told the ladies he's no polished hunk.

"I haven't washed my hair in about six weeks," said Pattinson, 22. "It's disgusting."

Via Defamer.

The Superficial

His hair just keeps growing and changing, it seems like it has a life of its own. It takes away a bit from my Twilight crush and it makes him look a little insane. I'm not sure I understand the logic or the physics behind it.

Natalie Dee

But, you know, he still looked hot in the Vanity Fair photo shoot, check out the out-takes from the photo shoot! Normal hair! Hot!

Okay, Maybe I Was a Little Dazzled... In Parts

That being said, Twilight the movie did have some parts that made me happy and girly inside:

The Prom.

Everything about Jasper and Alice... especially Jasper.

The scene in the Meadow.

Edward playing the piano.

Climbing in the tree.

The scenery was amazingly perfect.

Their first kiss.

And, of course, Edward's amazing sunglasses.

Not Nearly as Dazzled by the Movie

Last night I conned a friend (who hasn't read the book) to go see the Twilight movie with me. I loved the book a lot (I'll get into that later) so I had fairly low expectations for the film, because I had heard it was bad. Still, there was part of me that was ridiculously excited to see it. I think I had expected it to be closer to the book. It took me hours afterwards to fully explain to my friend what she just watched, she had so many questions. I wouldn't recommend going if you haven't read the book, because it just won't make sense.
I thought I wouldn't like Robert Pattinson as Edward, because the picture of Edward I had in my head was so different. However, I was pleasantly surprised by his hotness, I think mostly because of the fact that he was Edward... if that makes any sense. Casting-wise, I had no major beefs, my beefs were mainly with the plot.
It felt like the build of the relationship between Edward and Bella was done in fast forward, so it didn't really make sense that all of a sudden they were in love and couldn't live without each other (especially if you haven't read the book). Also, Edward's explaination of everything about vampires seemed like it was given in bullet points - Bella is supposed to slowly unravel it, not have it all given to her at once. What what happened to the relationship between Alice and Bella? It was just non-existant. Not to mention Bella's friendships at school with Jess and Angela were also barely developed.
My other beef was with the filming itself. Who decided that the entire movie needed to be shot in close ups and bumpy forest shots from bizarre angles? I could see the covered up pimple on Bella's face, and my friend noted that she was wearing contacts. Not necessary I'd say.
Overall, I would strongly recommend reading the book first if you're going to see the movie, but if you're expecting something exactly like the book, you're probably not going to love the movie. But, if all you want are gratuitous amounts of the goodlooking and and swoonworthy Edward, then it'll be worthwhile to go see the movie.

My Very Own Blog Secret

With no time to officially post, and an intense commitment not to fail NaBloPoMo, y'all get to hear my embarrassing confession...

I am officially a 15 year old girl again...


I had a dream involving Edward Cullen last night.


In my defense (and to make it less creepy), he was older than 17 in my dream.


I'm about half way through Twilight, in case you were wondering. I'm the girl with her headphones in her ears and her nose stuck in a book on the bus and subway... so much so that I nearly missed my stop yesterday.

Yup, officially a teenager again.

Here I Go...

I am ready to be a teen again, I have the book in my hot little hands (swiped from the little sis, who was currently re-reading it). This lovely lady and I are hopping onto the Vampire bandwagon together. Seeing as I loved vampire books, such as "Companions in the Night", as a teen, and really really really loved vampire books such as "Dracula" and "The Historian" as a 20-something, I should have no issues with this. I'll let you know how it goes.