Friend Test

Okay - I do these stupid things on MySpace ALL THE TIME!!! But someone had one on their blog - so I decided to do it ONE TIME for my blog, and then I consider my duty to surveys fulfilled. If you want to do it - copy and paste!!

(x ) Gone on a blind date
( x ) Skipped school (I had Saturday School EVERY WEEKEND my Sophomore year)
( ) Watched someone die
( x ) Been to Canada (Edmonton)
( ) Been to Mexico
( x ) Been to Florida (duh)
( x ) Been on a plane
( x ) Been lost (In more ways than one)
( x ) Been on the opposite side of the country (West Coast to East Coast baby...plus a few places in between )
( ) Been to Washington, DC
( x ) Swam in the ocean (Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic)
( x ) Cried yourself to sleep
( x ) Recently colored with crayons (This is one of my favorite things to do, actually)
( ) Sung Karaoke
( x ) Paid for a meal with coins only
( x ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
( x ) Made prank phone calls (until *69 and caller I.D.)
( x ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose (Ouch!)
( x ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( x ) Danced in the rain
( x ) Written a letter to Santa Claus (I wish I still could....)
( x ) Been kissed under the mistletoe (love it)
( x ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(x ) Blown bubbles
( x ) Gone ice-skating
( ) Ever had any major surgeries?
( x ) Been skinny dipping outdoors. (Ha, Ha, Ha...good times, good times...and no, I'm not elaborating)
(x)Danced in the snow (It was probably closer to running and playing than dancing)
( x ) Gone to the movies
( x ) Got a speeding ticket (One. I was going 75 in a 25 through Estelline, Texas...population 75)
( ) Gone through a divorce

1. Any nickname? Red, Sis. Johnson, Miss Shannan
2. Favorite Drink? water, cream soda
3. Mother's name? Lesta
4. Tattoo? two - one on my ankle of my astrological sign and roses and one on my right shoulder of a lion
5. How much do you love your job? I'd love it more if I got paid
6. Birthplace? Upland, California
7. Favorite vacation spot? somewhere tropical
8. Ever been to Africa? no, but I'd love to go
9. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Dinner, lunch, breakfast...IF they're my chocolate chip
10. Ever been on TV? Um - I'm not sure I should tell this story...but I guess it'll make good conversation. See, when I was a Junior, I hung with a group of kids who used to go watch the street races in Ontario. It was totally illegal, and really dangerous, as it was always in abandoned industrial parks, and there were a lot of teenagers with a lot of alcohol and souped up hot rods and slutty girls and gangs and you name it. Every night the location changed, and we all had police scanners, but we still got busted by cops. Frequently. Nothing like 200 teens running from the cops in their illegal nitrous-pumped cars with a collectively higher alcohol content then the entire population of Canada. Well, one of the news stations did an expose on illegal street-racing, and they had cameras at one of the police busts. A couple nights later, I'm watching the news with my parents when the Channel 7 News Exclusive aired, and I wasn't really paying attention, but my dad suddenly says: "Hey - that red-headed girl running across the street with a beer in her hand and two cops with weapons drawn on her tail looks familiar." My head jerked up to look at my dad, but he and my mom were squinting at the television. I tried to inconspicuously sneak out of the room, but suddenly the camera guy decided to zoom in...and their heads slowly turned towards me in perfect unison...and the rest in history, I guess...My weekends got infinitely MORE dangerous as I now had to jump out my second story window in order to go out with my friends, so I'm not sure their discouragement tactics worked...but it makes a heck of a great story, though I never DID watch Channel 7 News again (and yes - they laugh about it now)
11. Ever steal any traffic sign? umm...yeah. Several. I'm not sure this is a good survey anymore...I'm feeling like a criminal...but my girl friends and I stole several street signs and those construction barricades that have the blinking light on top and delivered them to randomly chosen people in the dead of the night. Don't ask why I had the appropriate tools to do such crimes of vandalism and theft on me...THAT'S a whole 'nother story...
12. Ever been in a car accident? A few...one because I over-reacted, one because I was racing (see question 10) and one because someone ELSE was an idiot
13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? both
14. Favorite salad dressing? I don't know - it depends on the salad!!
15. Favorite pie? boysenberry
16. Favorite number? I don't have one
17. Favorite movie? I LOVE movies, so that's a hard one...
18. Favorite holiday? Halloween
19. Favorite Dessert? brownies or pineapple-upside down cake
20. Favorite food? Asian-Island fusion
21. Favorite day of the week? Monday or Tuesday
22. Favorite brand of Body wash? I guess something from Bath and Body Works
23. Favorite toothpaste? Crest
24. Favorite smell? True by Calvin Klein on my hubby
25. What do you do to relax? listen to music, read
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? I can't think that far ahead
27. Favorite color? It changes everyday and especially seasonally
28. Furthest place you will send this message? I'm sending it out into the great Bloggersphere.....who knows how far it will go?
29. Who will respond to this the fastest? No one
30. Is your best friend male or female? Male: Jason, Female: Michelles 1&2, Cristi
31. Are you, or if retired, did you pursue your desired career field? No - I WAS NEVER going to be a mom...now I have 5 kids...funny how life changes
32. What will people think after reading this? I think we need to re-evaluate our friendship with Shannan
33. Are you happy with your life and the way things have turned out? I don't think my life has "turned out" yet. I'm still enjoying the turning and where we will end up next.

Twilight Update

I am a glutton for punishment...

I went to see Twilight AGAIN with my hubby today...we hit the earliest showing at the smallest theatre and were rewarded by having to share the space with only 5 other people...all adults. Thankfully, I found that it improved my viewing experience IMMENSELY...without the giggling girls, I didn't miss any dialogue, and I didn't laugh hysterically at non-funny moments.

I WAS overly conscious to my husbands reaction...he's never read the books, but he's heard all the drama, and has perfected his very patronizing eye-roll at the mention of anything Twilight-ish. So I was surprised that he ENJOYED the film. Not Oscar-worthy, but not a waste of 2 hours of time for him (the fact that I was massaging his thigh and running my fingers through his hair probably didn't hurt, either). So - I am excited all over again.

And there is good news...after a whooping weekend at the box office, Summit announced it will start working on the sequel, New Moon, IMMEDIATELY (yeah!!!). But with good news, there is always bad...SAG (the Screen Actors Guild Union) looks as if it is going to order a strike, and if the actors strike, there will be NO FILMING of ANYTHING until it is resolved. We all know what the Writers Strike did for TV and movies...lets hope they can find a solve. And not just for the films we're looking forward to seeing...I have friends who work in Hollywood...(I am Southern Californian, after all)...and another strike would be devastating for EVERYONE...my friends who are producers, music producers, set designers, and various other Hollywood-insiders who suffered greatly from the Writers Strike. Prayers all around, people!!!

My Twilight Movie Review

So - my daughter and I saw the 12:01am showing of Twilight with a theatre full of screaming teenagers this morning. In some ways, it made the experience more fun. And in others, it made it annoying...and probably colored my view of the movie. But no matter the surrounding audience, I am a HUGE Twilight fan...so I thought I should give my very un-professional opinion.

First off, I had no expectations. I fully comprehend the difficulty of condensing a book, ANY BOOK, especially a 500-page book, into a 2-hour movie. I also had no issues with the casting, unlike some fans who either seriously need their eyes checked (Rob Pattinson looks like a gargoyle? Are you SERIOUS?!?!?), or just need a life. I was there just to be a cool mom, and see something I love on paper come to life visually. That being said...

I thought it was good. You could totally see Catherine Hardwickes directorial style through-out (if you don't know, rent "Thirteen"), and it gave the film a more gritty feel than the books, which I approved of. I thought Rob Pattinson COMPLETELY embodied Edward...everyone went on and on about how he didn't smile enough in the movie...but I thought he did great (one of my favorite scenes was when he drives Bella to school for the first time, and everyone is staring, and he is totally ALL smiles. It's a short scene - but I was rolling, and sighing, and when he put his arm around her shoulders, I actually swooned. Yes, me...and old lady). Kristen Stewart was AWESOME as Bella.

Some people were all put-out because they thought the special effects were cheesy. I didn't think so - it fit the overall style of the movie. But hey - it WAS low-budget (as far as films go)...so if you think that, go flood the box office so they can make enough $$ to get the special effects right for the sequels!!

I heard a lot of reviews that the movie made you laugh at all the wrong moments, like when Bella did this fantastic fall on ice, or when Charlie (Bella's dad) was drinking a beer. But I don't think it was inappropriate to laugh...one, Bella's clumsiness IS funny (even Edward thinks so), and two, we all know how the movie ends...so laughing at some of the serious parts (like Edwards tortured face in Biology) is because we KNOW why he's holding his nose and we KNOW it's gonna be okay...its almost a RELIEF to see it accurately portrayed. But I DID honestly laugh inappropriately at one point, but I'm not sure if it was a reaction to everyone else laughing or not...when Edward has to save Bella by sucking the vampire venom from her arm, and doesn't think he can stop...it came off a little overdone...but, I might just have been reacting to mob mentality (when I see it again with my husband and ADULTS, I think I might react differently).

The audience was WILDLY enthusiastic at the premiere showing...before the movie we even had a "Tastes Great, Less Filling" stand-off between Team Jacob and Team Edward. (Insert: Taylor Lautner is so cute...and the last scene with him at the prom, with Edwards comment to Bella about his appearance, although portrayed differently in the book, were golden). They cheered enthusiastically at every appearance of a major character, sighed and wolf-called at every sexy moment, and the gorgeous Jamaican guy next to me with his date just kept repeating: "You's gots to be kiddin' me" ...I asked him if he was upset about the audience reaction or the competition, and he said: "The competition! How can'd I compete wit dat?", while his date swooned into his shoulder.

Yeah - sorry, mon. You's gots no prayer. Edward is in a league of his own.

Funny...

So there's this website called http://www.despair.com/viewall.html. It's hilarious. My favorite new quotes are:

Madness does not always howl. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "Hey, is there room in your head for one more?"

It could be that the purpose of your life is only to seve as a warning to others.

HA, ha, ha, ha.....I know...I need help....