tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44654928978424607802024-03-05T08:07:27.763-08:00Wishful WriterWishful writer majoring in pyschology. Or, rather, what am I doing with my life?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-28543287595762044182013-05-13T22:08:00.000-07:002013-05-13T22:09:49.099-07:00Midday Movie Mondays-Shrek!Thanks to a poll over on my <a href="http://keydav.tumblr.com/post/50346428110/midday-movie-monday">tumblr</a>, today's movie was <i>Shrek</i>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/shrek_ver2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/shrek_ver2.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Not the gumdrop buttons!"</td></tr>
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Okay, so, this is somewhat embarrassing to admit, but I haven't watched the original <i>Shrek</i> in...well, it's been a long time. So, watching this movie was really nostalgic for me, as it probably would be for most people. For those of you who, somehow, don't know the story of <i>Shrek</i>, here's the IMDB short plot synopsis:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"An ogre, in order to regain his swamp, travels along with an annoying donkey in order to bring a princess to a scheming lord, wishing himself King."</span></blockquote>
It's a great movie, full of laughs and touching moments with a surprisingly relevant message behind it. At least, the message I gleaned from this movie was relevant. The whole "not judging people before you get to know them" is a pretty timeless theme, if I say so myself.<br />
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For me, the most surprising thing was realizing how, for lack of a better word, <i>adult</i> this movie was. I'm pretty sure I caught a few ass's and damn's and I was sort of blown away at how much I missed. Not to mention Shrek's comment about Lord Farquad compensating for something with his rather large *ahem* castle and the part in the info song in which they almost say ass, which I'd definitely noticed before. Throughout watching it, I kept asking myself how this only had a PG rating.<br />
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Of course, after the movie, I had to go find the Shrek Karaoke in the Swamp to watch, simply for the nostalgia factor. Singing and dancing along to that is definitely something I remember doing when I was a kid in front of my TV, so it was a must to do so today.<br />
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If you can't tell my opinion, it's that I absolutely adore this movie. It's combines hilarious moments with sweet moments with awesome songs. It gets a big fat recommend to every one I know.<br />
-Morgan<br />
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PS: I feel it should be mentioned, but I also love the second Shrek. I used to say it was my favorite, but after rewatching the first one, I might have to rethink that...Which one is your guys' favorite?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-7808167226526020192013-05-10T22:09:00.000-07:002013-05-10T22:09:01.287-07:00Oh, hey, did I mention I have a vlog?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sSbTngXN654" width="420"></iframe><br />
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So, I haven't made a video on my vlog in awhile, but I made one today and I wanted to share it with you guys. Show you guys what I look like and sound like and stuff. It's about my book shelf here at college.<br />
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I hope you guys enjoy!<br />
-Morgan<br />
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PS: I'm still trying to figure out what all kinds of things I want to do with my vlog, similar with my blog. What do you guys think I should make a video about?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-84166440333784267452013-05-06T21:18:00.001-07:002013-05-06T21:18:55.272-07:00Midday Movie Mondays: Iron manThis week's movie, by popular vote on <a href="http://keydav.tumblr.com/">my tumblr</a>, was <i>Iron Man</i>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ironmantonystark.com/wp-content/uploads/final-iron-man-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ironmantonystark.com/wp-content/uploads/final-iron-man-movie-poster.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*obligatory Ozzy song*</td></tr>
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So, I actually haven't seen this movie in probably a year? I was in the mood to watch a Marvel movie anyway, though, because I saw <i>Captain America: The First Avenger</i> last night. Also, I saw <i>Iron Man 3</i> last Friday, so this was a fun way to go back to the beginning.<br />
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Now, what can I say about this movie? Only that it is absolutely amazing! The action is awesome, the acting is phenomenal, and the all of the effects and cinematography, for what little I know about that stuff, was pretty rockin'. It was really interesting to see this movie again, after so long and after seeing <i>The Avengers</i> and <i>Iron Man 3</i>, in that it was interesting to see Tony back at the beginning. Right from the beginning he looked different to me, if only somewhat younger. I enjoyed seeing Tony back where he started, especially with seeing Yensin again. Also, I really miss the deep, intimidating voice he had in this movie while wearing the suit. Why exactly did they get rid of that?<br />
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Overall, this movie was top notch, of course, and I loved watching it again right after seeing the third in the series. If you're ever in the mood to see an action-packed, gritty comic book movie, I would definitely put this one at the top of the recommends pile.<br />
-Morgan<br />
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PS: For those of you who've seen all three of the Iron Mans, which did you like the best? Personally, I think <i>Iron Man 3</i> is at the top, with <i>Iron Man</i> close behind in second and <i>Iron Man 2</i> rounding out the herd.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-41867014921859774302013-05-04T14:17:00.000-07:002013-05-04T14:17:03.573-07:00First Relay for Life!Last night I participated in my first ever Relay for Life, and I had a quite enjoyable time. I was there for about two and a half hours and I, admittedly, spent most of that time standing by my team's (my campus's radio station, since I'm a DJ there) tent, attempting to help sell CD's for a dollar a piece (5 of which I bought; I mean, 5 CD's for $5? Yes, please!). I walked a few laps and danced a bit to the music playing while I stood by the tent. So, I didn't do much, but I don't believe the evening to be a waste. On the contrary! I met a couple other DJ's, the station manager's sister and the station's adviser, who were all pretty cool people. I enviously watched people get balloon animals (the station was right across from us!), particularly when they got octopus hats.<br />
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Most of all, though, I reflected. I was lucky to be there when they had the Luminaria service, listen to our college's women's choir, hear a few people tell their stories of how cancer had touched their lives, and walk a couple laps with everyone with the lights down low and the bags all aglow. It was at this time that I really recalled how cancer had affected my life.<br />
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My aunt (actually, my mom's cousin, but whatever) is a survivor of breast cancer, if I recall correctly. I say that because, at the time she was going through this, nobody really told me. I remember when she didn't have any hair for a bit and it was then that I realized she also looked much skinnier than usual, and I realized she might have cancer. Now a days, I've seen her wearing breast cancer awareness shirts, which leads me to believe that is what she went through (though I am definitely going to have to ask my mom for a confirmation).<br />
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More saddingly, my former high school English teacher somewhat recently passed away from breast cancer. She was diagnosed back when I was still in high school and seemed to be doing well. Then, suddenly, April 3rd I got a call from my boyfriend (who went to the same high school) to inform me that the night before she had passed away. It was so sudden and surprising that I could not believe it at first. It was one of the saddest events in my life. She was a wonderful, amazing person. Everyone who had a class with her knew that she was a wonderfully, hilarious person who genuinely cared about her students. I'm glad that I was able to have a class with her and get to know her as well as I did.<br />
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Last night was a pretty great night (and not just because I saw Iron Man 3 after Relay) in which I reflected on the thankfully few times cancer has affected my life and I am extremely glad I went. I went into it expecting it to be a fun time, which it was, and a possiblity for me to try doing something good, but I did not expect to at one point feel tears pricking my eyes as I walked around a gym in the middle of a crowd of strangers. It was a good night.<br />
-Morgan<br />
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PS-I've decided to make this blog a general blog instead of just the whole picture idea I previously had. I changed the title to something more fitting and I'm excited to go into this new era of blogging! Do you guys have any suggestions of things you want to see me talk about on here, or possibly a movie request for Midday Movie Mondays?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-79525517364309912652013-04-29T17:53:00.002-07:002013-05-06T09:51:04.272-07:00Midday Movie Mondays-50 First DatesOkay, so today's movie, as you probably figured out from the title, was <i>50 First Dates!</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/posters/800/0/50-First-Dates-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/posters/800/0/50-First-Dates-movie-poster.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admittedly, I love that there are so many jokes about<br />Adam Sandler's head being shaped like an egg in this movie.</td></tr>
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So, I actually had an ulterior motive for watching this movie today as I had to watch it for an assignment in my Abnormal Psychology class. Nonetheless, it's a movie that I have watched and enjoyed before so I was rather looking forward to seeing it again.<br />
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For those who haven't seen it, it's about Henry (Adam Sandler) who meets Lucy (Drew Berrymore) and becomes infatuated with her only to learn that she has Goldfield Syndrome (AKA Anterograde Amnesia, which is when someone can't remember any new memories that are created usually after a trauma to the brain). Henry works to explain her accident and make her fall in love with him everyday.<br />
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Personally, I rather enjoy this movie. I believe it gives a fairly accurate portrayal of a mental disorder such as Anterograde Amnesia, even if it renames it. It is lovely that he continues to win her affections every day, even knowing that she's going to forget him the next day. It has an extremely bittersweet ending, which my roommate actually cried at (and she didn't even see all of the movie). Overall, I think this movie is charming, funny and an enjoyable movie, though perhaps not my favorite of all time, even in the realm of rom-coms.<br />
AKA, this is a movie that, while I enjoy watching, I'm probably not going to go out and purposefully rent, unless I need to for a class or I am just somehow really in the mood for it.<br />
-Morgan<br />
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PS: Any suggestions for a future movie? I watched this one because I had to anyway for a class, but I'm completely undecided on what I'm going to watch next week, so I would love any requests you have to give!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-8669787884879158352013-04-22T18:45:00.001-07:002013-04-22T18:48:34.205-07:00The start of Midday Movie Mondays-MulanHey, guys! I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been getting caught up with school and stuff, but I promise I'm back! In fact, I'm beginning a new series of sorts to help keep me on track, so you should, at the very least, hear from me once a week!<br />
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So, if you didn't read the title, this new series is called Midday Movie Mondays! The idea was born last week on Wednesday when I watched <i>27 Dresses</i> in the middle of the day to help me feel better. I realized that this was a thing that really helped to put me in a better mood and I realized that, out of all of the days of the week, Mondays are probably the days I'm most in need of a mood booster. So, I decided to start watching a movie every Monday in the middle of the day because I thought it would fun and help me be in a better mood. At which point I realized, hey, I could talk about this on my blog and people might like that and it would get me posting more often. So, here we are, at the beginning of a wonderful journey that I am thrilled to go on with you guys. Yes, I'm aware of how cheesy that was. Moving on.<br />
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To start of Midday Movie Mondays, today I watched......<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/11/A70-5831" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/11/A70-5831" height="320" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Cue dramatic music from when she cuts off her hair*</td></tr>
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I'm pretty sure everybody and his/her mother has seen this movie, but if you've somehow been living under a rock for the last fifteen years, this 1998 Disney film shows the story of a young woman who decides to take her father's place in the army because she knows he'd die if he went off to fight.<br />
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I haven't seen this movie in awhile, so it was really nice to watch again. It was definitely a nostalgia trip for me and I absolutely loved it. <i>Mulan</i> has always been one of my favorite Disney movies, easily making the top 10, if not top 5. I love the story about a strong woman who defies societal norms and expectations to save her father. Later in the movie she says maybe she didn't even do it for her father, that maybe she did it to prove that she could do something right. Personally, I'm pretty sure it was a combination of both, that she was consciously thinking of her father while doing it, but subconsciously she was driven by the need to prove herself, which, personally, doesn't take away from what she did at all. I definitely think wanting to prove yourself in some way is a totally valid reason for doing what you do, whatever it is.<br />
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Admittedly one of my favorite parts is the fact that Mulan and Shang don't obviously end up together. There is no big scene where one of them confesses their undying love to the other and they share the most heartfelt of kisses. This isn't what the movie is about. And, yes, by the end of the film, you're aware that they both have feelings for each other, but, overall, the movie isn't about the romance, it's about Mulan making a difference and really becoming someone she can be proud to be. And I'm one of those people who loves a good love story, so if I'm saying one of my favorite parts is the lack of romance, you know this is a good movie.<br />
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Anyway, those are my main thoughts. Let me know what you guys think of the movie and make suggestions for any future Midday Movie Monday movies I should do. Honestly, I don't even know what I'm going to watch next week, so if you make a suggestion, there's probably a good chance I'll take it.<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
-Morgan<br />
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P.S. I know that's not the most well-known or used movie poster, but of the ones I found it was by far my favorite What do you guys think? Better or worse than the more well-known version?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-4392429151342874012013-03-05T23:59:00.002-08:002013-04-22T18:49:48.953-07:00A Quest with Unexpected TreasureYesterday morning, I woke up earlier than I'd have admittedly liked to, especially considering my piano lesson was cancelled, to brave the white blizzard-y streets with my roommate so that she may be able to buy Wreck-It-Ralph, as it came out yesterday. We made it to Walgreens, but they didn't have the movie. We crossed the street to the Jewel Osco and they didn't have it either. The good news with all of this, however, is that, while Jewel did not have Wreck-It-Ralph, they did have bags of knock-off Teddy Grahams for only a dollar a piece! Also, we stopped by the library and got a couple movies to watch this week. Check it out:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_m9fYpESAdC94fTeizWf0ZAPfzz-1B30-GCD5bSTv9LMuqBnTfwSu0YAwLOooY9ujU6lZU9RdlT04XU658_SJ3qp570He4-oIL10pUcplBWXCPiyhWayR7fuJZHrnQJ2S8Comk3Cbn0i/s1600/3-5-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_m9fYpESAdC94fTeizWf0ZAPfzz-1B30-GCD5bSTv9LMuqBnTfwSu0YAwLOooY9ujU6lZU9RdlT04XU658_SJ3qp570He4-oIL10pUcplBWXCPiyhWayR7fuJZHrnQJ2S8Comk3Cbn0i/s1600/3-5-2013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It just looks so beautiful....*sniff*.</td></tr>
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Yes, we got How To Train Your Dragon, because I've really wanted to see it recently and I haven't seen it before, and Space Jam, because...well, do I <i>really</i> need to put a reason here?<br />
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All in all, it was a cold, windy, and slush-filled trip, but it was all worth it. Especially since I got to end it with a nice bowl of hot tomato basil soup and an email from my professor stating that my only class for the day was cancelled. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.<br />
-MorganAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-71372014776406350152013-03-03T22:00:00.000-08:002013-03-03T22:00:02.879-08:00Restarting and shaven legsWow, it's been just under a year since I've started this blog and look how far I...haven't come. I sometimes think about how much excitement I had for this blog and how much I was looking forward to getting back into the blogging sphere and then I remember how I only posted six times and never did again. Well, I think that's rather silly and, having not realized how close to a year it's been, I decided I'm going to attempt starting this blog up again. Admittedly, I might not remember to post everyday-it might be closer to once a week-but I will eventually get to doing one every day. Hopefully, this works out like I'm hoping.<br />
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So, here's today's entry:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEwwemSKY9MCVGuCu5pAhx_VZ9XekULFIFrF-vpzFmaUIkTe5j3zdfbUeJtkkdkPqGN-jV_TIwkk-ucwac1wJMB938OZb2Kh4b1j2wkJaIJqRS9cI_IEclKvmHkp32WIDldgv-w3uOcUM/s1600/3-3-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEwwemSKY9MCVGuCu5pAhx_VZ9XekULFIFrF-vpzFmaUIkTe5j3zdfbUeJtkkdkPqGN-jV_TIwkk-ucwac1wJMB938OZb2Kh4b1j2wkJaIJqRS9cI_IEclKvmHkp32WIDldgv-w3uOcUM/s1600/3-3-2013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">To get things started off, enjoy a picture of my lovely legs.</span></td></tr>
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So, tonight I shaved for the first time in four months. (I was actually going to make a post with my hairy legs, but then I made an impromptu decision to shave while in the shower tonight, so you get my recently shaven legs instead). As for not shaving them in four months, I have a few reasons:<br />
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<ol>
<li>It was the beginning of November, so I decided to do my part and participate in No-Shave November. The only place I shaved-in fact, the only place I've shaved in the last 4 months (excluding tonight)-was my under arms.</li>
<li>It was the beginning of winter. AKA, it helped keep me warm.</li>
<li>I am extremely lazy.</li>
<li>When it was No-Shave November, lots of people were kicking up a fuss about the ladies participating in it and it irked me enough that I decided to do a No-Shave Winter.</li>
<li>I go to college and take showers in a public bathroom, so it's a little uncomfortable to shave in there.</li>
</ol>
Admittedly, mostly I was lazy, but it did have a few, I suppose, feminist aspects to it. As for my experience in doing it, it was actually pretty nice. I wore pants all winter, so I didn't really have to worry about anyone spotting my legs in public. The only time I did have to worry about that was when I went to take showers, since I only wear a towel on my way to and from the shower. At first, I was really nervous about walking there with my hairy legs out in the open, but after a while, I grew much more comfortable and didn't have a problem with it. People saw me with hairy legs, many times in fact, but never said anything, at least not to my face. I suppose I was lucky that I didn't get any harassment and I am glad for it. Knowing how worse people could have been about it, even when they only had that small opportunity to see them, was pretty terrifying, especially at the beginning. But, the more I walked to and from the bathroom, the more I honestly didn't care.<br />
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Usually during the winter I don't shave my legs often, maybe every 3-4 weeks, but this was my first to not shave them at all. It was quite the experience and, honestly, I get the feeling that this is something I will probably do again next winter. I am, after all, nothing if not a lazy feminist.<br />
-Morgan<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16930257996779852648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-21188358892775914422012-03-13T21:31:00.003-07:002012-03-13T21:31:41.941-07:00Unfortunate happeningsSo, I'm afraid I won't be able to put up a proper post today, because my camera is acting up. Every time I turn it on it says "Battery Exhausted". I even tried changing the batteries, but it still didn't work. I had a really good idea for a post, too, so I'm fairly disappointed.<br />
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I will do my best to get it working by tomorrow.<br />
-MorganUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-41292768367711937232012-03-12T21:47:00.001-07:002012-03-12T21:47:07.092-07:00Cards, cards, everywhere!So, I wasn't really sure what to take a picture of today. All I did was go to school (which I'm sure you don't want to hear about) and go to musical rehearsal (which I've already talked about). So, I was a bit stumped. I thought about taking pictures of many different things, but then I remembered something I mentioned in my first post...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBZrSbg-pt9G3qT9J9ehrgGPFq2jYF5gV0TlG8rcCwWXWUO9gJlnucRQr3SY2bQfoceSQj-yJumLiJ2q0D2TDGsJ61LwOhYQBtkjMXz5pSHfpxp4TCXkQUJlCLvfeB3nMv44_yN6Uy84/s1600/3-12-2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBZrSbg-pt9G3qT9J9ehrgGPFq2jYF5gV0TlG8rcCwWXWUO9gJlnucRQr3SY2bQfoceSQj-yJumLiJ2q0D2TDGsJ61LwOhYQBtkjMXz5pSHfpxp4TCXkQUJlCLvfeB3nMv44_yN6Uy84/s320/3-12-2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">45 decks pictured. I actually have 48 overall. I know. I counted.</span></div>
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Bet you didn't really believe I collected decks of cards, did you? I don't remember exactly when I started collecting them, but I know that it has been a few years and I've definitely collected some interesting ones in my time. My mom enjoys going to Las Vegas, so every time she brings me back decks from a few different hotels. I have a couple decks from my grandmother from when she went to England. I have a Yogi Bear deck (bottom row, third from the right), Chris Angel deck (middle deck, second from the left), a Spanish deck (fourth row down, fourth from the left) that only has 40 cards, a deck all about lures of the past (bottom row, fifth from the left), and many others.</div>
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I think one of the reasons I like collecting card decks so much is because despite the fact that all of them have different backs, they are all still similar on the front (excluding the Spanish deck). I can use every single one of those decks (excluding Spanish one) for the same games, and yet they look so different. I don't know. Cards/Card games have always been a bit fascinating to me.</div>
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Yay for being a card nerd!</div>
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Until next time,</div>
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-Morgan</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-81520235168988695632012-03-11T21:17:00.001-07:002012-03-11T21:17:10.343-07:00Reading The AeneidAt my high school (I fell like many of my posts are going to start with something about my high school...), I have been taking Latin since I was a freshman. Now I'm in Latin IV and we are currently reading Vergil's <i>The Aeneid</i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUpBAnPxQPovoU_nWj79JNFE8wGhsj9-w3z75tWkVk_hHQQhOFBt3KPCspD5-GAnt3zeLVFkMWTEljZOpfMyKGUd68ld64oB01dbat8JAimFua9UHSt8rkUFFnbO578Va7a4oiTq7irk/s1600/3-11-2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUpBAnPxQPovoU_nWj79JNFE8wGhsj9-w3z75tWkVk_hHQQhOFBt3KPCspD5-GAnt3zeLVFkMWTEljZOpfMyKGUd68ld64oB01dbat8JAimFua9UHSt8rkUFFnbO578Va7a4oiTq7irk/s320/3-11-2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For those who don't know, <i>The Aeneid</i> is an epic about this guy called Aeneas, son of Venus, survivor of the Trojan War and founder of what would one day become Rome. It tells of his seven year journey to Carthage, the underworld, and many other places, and finally to Italy, where he, as I'm sure you guessed, founded Rome.</div>
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We're supposed to have the first two books (aka: chapters) read by tomorrow and I've only read the first one so far (No worries, I'm going to read the second one after I finish this). We actually have a quiz to take over the first two books tomorrow, even though I will be the only person in class. It's definitely going to be an interesting class period tomorrow!</div>
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Anyway, so far I've actually enjoyed reading it. Some people find it a bit difficult to read this because of how it's written or whatever, but I actually really like it. It takes a bit more thought than most modern books, but it's still enjoyable. To make sure I'm understanding what I'm reading, after every paragraph or so, I go over what just happened in my own words (so, for example: "Aeneas stood there resplendent in the bright light of day with the head and shoulders of a god. His own mother had...given beauty to his hair and the sparkle of joy to his eyes, and the glow of youth shone all about him." (1.588-591) translates to "He was really hot."). It's a really useful tool to make sure I'm remembering everything. Plus, sometimes it's funny to think about what the text would have looked like, had it been written in modern times. It also helps that I'm actually fairly interested in mythology, so this tends to keep my interest.</div>
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Anyway, short post tonight.</div>
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Have a wonderful day!</div>
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-Morgan</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-11036352027104385302012-03-10T22:40:00.002-08:002012-03-10T22:40:23.305-08:00Set Painting, Dress Buying, and Bread Stick EatingI had a fairly fun-filled day today. This morning I went to my school to help paint sets for the musical. It turned out to be quite fun. There were about 8 other students there along with our director and the art teacher. The director even put her iPod on over the speakers in the auditorium and we all had fun with it (At one point I was up on a ladder, painting a wall, and I made a 'I'm getting high' joke and proceeded to laugh at my own genius...because I was on a ladder. Like, I was high up? Oh forget it.).<br />
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After set painting was over, I went home to take a shower and get ready to go dress shopping with my friend and her boyfriend. Before I went, my mom and I looked on the website to see what dresses they had and picked one out a head of time. When my friend and I got there (her boyfriend went to a different store) I instantly went to find the dress, only to find that it was in a size that I thought would probably be too big. I kept looking for other dresses for a bit, but I couldn't tear myself away from that one. I quickly snatched it up to try it on in the dressing room and, what do you know, it fit! I had to wait for my friend to figure out which dress/size she was getting she which ended up as this neon pink monstrosity that I personally would never wear, but I know she loves. As for my dress, however, I went with a color that was a bit more subtle...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyImY0LKA0Tf7qdNydzenldBg0e-Ucl2T-cL4G5PLrNwGjGaHdUTxTcXso35ooZYBfIm7Snk3UMsTFqWiZQqGaJBHWvpFI9A3lE5_dtqUNPztqA6mg3IgoOTQzHGbKhjAcQNwp-c4faw/s1600/DSCN0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyImY0LKA0Tf7qdNydzenldBg0e-Ucl2T-cL4G5PLrNwGjGaHdUTxTcXso35ooZYBfIm7Snk3UMsTFqWiZQqGaJBHWvpFI9A3lE5_dtqUNPztqA6mg3IgoOTQzHGbKhjAcQNwp-c4faw/s320/DSCN0951.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wedding dress? What wedding dress?</span></div>
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I can honestly say that I am absolutely thrilled that I got the dress I wanted and I just love it to pieces (thankfully not literally). Everyone who's seen it has said it looks like a wedding dress, which I'm completely fine with. Honestly, even without a date to prom, I feel like a bride when i wear it.<br />
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After we bought our dresses, we headed of to Fazoli's for supper. As usual (which, unfortunately isn't that usual) it was amazing. I had the Baked Ravioli Florentine, which consisted of cheese ravioli, chicken, spinach, and Alfredo sauce, and was absolutely to die for. Not to mention the bread sticks! Crazy delicious, as always (I tend to give Fazoli's a good review when I get to go, have you noticed?).<br />
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After our wonderful day, the three of us went back to my house and watched <i>he's just not that into you</i> which is currently one of my favorite movies. They didn't leave until 11:30, which is one of the reasons I didn't get this post up until after midnight (So, whether or not it says it was posted on the eleventh, we're just going to count this one as my post for the tenth, okay?).<br />
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I wish more days were like this. It was very peaceful.<br />
-MorganUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-92070332247469278772012-03-09T21:24:00.002-08:002012-03-09T21:24:49.408-08:00How to rock the pit without really tryingAt my high school, the Drama department performs a Fall Play and a Spring Musical every year. This year's musical (in case you hadn't figured it out by the title) is <i>How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying</i>. <div>
Every year, since I was a sophomore, I've auditioned for every play and musical. I've only gotten a couple parts (i.e. "The Radical"/Chorus Member in <i>Wonderful Town</i> and Ms. Lynch in <i>Grease</i>), but I am usually still very involved in every production. The only one I wasn't really involved in was last year's play <i>The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, </i>when I was asked to be the drama dirge (I think that's what it was called) and look up information about things in the play in case one of the actors had a question. Honestly, I ended up not doing anything, although, somehow I was still allowed at the cast party. Other times I didn't get a part I helped out with make-up, which was my job for our most recent play (<i>Don't Drink the Water)</i>. For the musical this year, I auditioned again. The next day, before the cast list was up, my choir teacher approached me and told me that I had a choice of either being a chorus member or playing violin on the synthesizer in the pit. It took me a minute to think about it, but I answered pit, and I haven't looked back since. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwD9h_BHEWnoCN_cmNvMKhMrFK5vriAxxznxyuzOClfxe1-rsIUEvUwFUTWKmcoEHxtXCLQCUXTwnDt6mlN6VrNSv7TgYXI2aMSDqATZ5886GhWHeriw1EpmxoZ9ooKAq2-Qy4zonW-c/s1600/3-9-2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwD9h_BHEWnoCN_cmNvMKhMrFK5vriAxxznxyuzOClfxe1-rsIUEvUwFUTWKmcoEHxtXCLQCUXTwnDt6mlN6VrNSv7TgYXI2aMSDqATZ5886GhWHeriw1EpmxoZ9ooKAq2-Qy4zonW-c/s320/3-9-2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Isn't she a beauty? </span></div>
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As much as I enjoy being up on stage, I've found that I almost prefer being down in front of it more. Our pit isn't exactly big (which I'm sure you figured out when I said I'd be playing violin on the synthesizer), but it's still a joy to be a part of. There are four of us (piano, drums, bass, synth), plus the choir directer that directs us and we all get along wonderfully. I find myself laughing much more often than I would've had I just been a part of the cast. The way I see it, being in the pit means I don't have to wear a crap-ton of makeup (I always hated that part of acting), I don't have to worry about a costume (except for the outfit I will wear three days in a row), and I get to see the play (excluding musical numbers when I'm playing) for free! I even got a musical t-shirt for free because I was in the pit. Not to mention, since it's a violin part, and therefore only requires one of my hands, the music is pretty easy.</div>
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Basically, as much as I love acting, there's probably a good chance I'm going to stick with the Pit Orchestra (oh, look, the official name!), probably even into college. Hopefully when I get to college, though, I'll be playing either piano or clarinet instead of "violin on synthesizer".</div>
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Hey, at least I got free pizza tonight.</div>
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-Morgan</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465492897842460780.post-72883977593137053702012-03-08T22:44:00.000-08:002012-03-08T22:49:12.951-08:00Hello!Hello! My name is Morgan, and welcome to my newest blog! Basically, the idea for this blog is for me to take a picture of something or someone everyday and put up a post with it, along with a description about it, a story behind it, anything that has to do with it really! (And, yes, I'm aware that many of you probably rolled your eyes at the un-originality of this blog. Oh well!) This blog is hopefully going to function in two ways. 1) Help me post to a blog more often, since it requires at least a once a day post and 2) Take my camera with me and actually take more picture, since it requires a picture at least once a day.<br />
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As for my first photo....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoy3M9wHoGuzX2x9rrRvjB4OVOpj2eyoxTnyQri92b6AovPOFuWC4EkNNmemWjPzjS-Gzhrqn4uCS_ioN5pXBngQ7hOCGbYe0Pa35MgBznPb9H5CmXdUbasSfc-s-nxQSc-fkQdDSg3R8/s1600/3-9-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoy3M9wHoGuzX2x9rrRvjB4OVOpj2eyoxTnyQri92b6AovPOFuWC4EkNNmemWjPzjS-Gzhrqn4uCS_ioN5pXBngQ7hOCGbYe0Pa35MgBznPb9H5CmXdUbasSfc-s-nxQSc-fkQdDSg3R8/s320/3-9-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Look at that double chin! How gorgeous is that?!</span></div>
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It's me! So, here's a little introduction to me. Hopefully, I won't go into any boring details.</div>
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My name is Morgan, I'm 17 years old, and I live in a small town (population: 9,000-ish) in Illinois. I've lived here all of my life, so I'm really looking forward to going to a new place for college next year. I plan on majoring in Psychology and minoring in either Criminal Justice or Music (or both!). I am literally always reading a book. Seriously, if I'm not in the middle of a book, I freak out. (I've actually gotten in trouble in class before for reading!). When I was younger I dabbled in magic, cross-stitch, balloon-animal making, and many other fun arts and crafts-y things kids generally grow out of within a week or two (Granted, the magic thing lasted a while). I collect decks of playing cards. I've attempted many collections over my many years, but (excluding my stuffed animal collection) the decks of cards collection is the only one that really stuck with me. I currently have about 42 decks of cards and I plan on continuing my collection. Also, the map you see behind me in the picture is one of three maps I have on my walls (I once fancied myself map collected, although it didn't pan out). That is a USA map and on the wall across from that one I have both a map of the world and an Illinois road map. I generally keep the fortunes I get in fortune cookies and I have to use oven pads/mits when I take bowls of ravioli out of the microwave (it's really hot!).</div>
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Also, many of the "subtitles" on my pictures will be sarcastic. Like the one above. I just thought I'd warn you all ahead of time.</div>
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-Morgan</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0