Oops, I did it Again...

Hi. My name is Larissa and I am an impulsive buyer.

Seriously, it's true and it's getting really bad. I mean, who buys 'Just My Luck' for full price?... who buys 'Just My Luck' period? Well, apparently I do. That's one of my more embarrassing crimes though (and in my defense, I bought it for the Chris Pine moments, not the Lindsay Lohan ones). But recently my impulses are wackier than ever.

This morning I was working, just minding my own business, when suddenly I felt in dire need of a hamster. A hamster. Luckily I wasn't anywhere near a pet shop, nor allowed to leave work for such a silly reason, and the impulse left after a couple hours... Other impulses of late that I have managed not to act upon have been things like buying a brand new computer (I settled for an external hard drive and extra memory for my old one) and getting another tattoo. I just came back from returning a gym bag... I bought it without thinking about the fact that it was way too big for the simple purpose of carrying a pair of shoes and a towel, never mind the importance of size when it comes to fitting it into my gym locker.

Movies are my Achilles' heel... how do you think my movie collection got to be what it is today? Of course, most of the time I allow a little bit of common sense to leak into my movie purchases - I only hunt in the previously viewed section at Blockbuster or the bargain bin at Walmart. Once in a while though, my impulse just takes over... The "Oh, I know I can't afford it but it was such a great movie!" happens I find myself buying something before it's reached the bargain bin. Don't worry, that wasn't running through my head when I bought Just My Luck; but it was when I bought things like Fantastic Mr. Fox, Juno and Iron Man for full price.

Books: the library didn't have the Twilight series when I suddenly had to read it, so guess what's on my shelves now?
Clothes: How many graphic tees does one person really need? Yet every time I see a good one, it joins the rest of 'em chez Larissa.
Posters: My walls literally can't fit any more; I now have to decide which old posters will be covered up by the new ones.

(that's just A-D ...ridiculous much?)

You'll be happy to know (especially those of you who are shaking your heads at my behavior as you read this) that I'm working on this addiction of mine. Before I wasn't capable of walking into a Blockbuster without walking out with a movie or two; now I can just look and long but refrain from buying - though I let myself every so often... I mean, there are still so many good movies out there! Haven't bought a book in a while, returned that over-sized gym bag and just use my brother's old one (it's not that smelly after the fifth or sixth wash), and hit up Value Village more than any other clothing store. So I'm getting better. I'm starting to include my brain when I make purchases (or choose not to make a purchase). I mean, you'll notice all the recent impulses I've had I've managed to mostly ignore or come to a compromise. That doesn't mean I still don't feel the need to leave my house right now and buy Sherlock Holmes and Young Victoria. But I won't for at least one more night. Hopefully I feel this strong-willed tomorrow. :)

Anywho, I don't know why I decided to write about this today but I guess I just felt like sharing. If only I could act on my other impulses as readily as I do with my buying ones... I mean, the socially appropriate impulses... 'cause sometimes I just want to slap a patient upside the head for being such a jerk, but I don't nor will I ever (hopefully). But yesterday I went to a bar close to my house with a couple of friends and I saw this kid I knew from high school and I wanted to say hi but didn't. Lame.

So yeah. It seems eyes are a window to the soul and blogs are a window into the mind... I'm gonna go ahead and shut the drapes now though. Gotta catch up on some editing of the novel if I want to get that baby published! Thanks for reading my rantings. :)

Keep it real!

Shoot!! Now I want a hamster again!... :s

not your average day at the office...

Oh MAN! I don't know why I didn't write about that stunt driving course as soon as it ended... oh yeah, my life got insanely hectic and has finally slowed down just about twenty minutes ago... that's why.

So 'how did the stunt driving course go' you ask? At least, I hope you ask because I'm about to answer regardless! It was SO MUCH FUN! Not nerve-racking at all! And here's the weirdest part: it felt so natural; like... well, not like I was born to do it, because I'm sure there's plenty of things that could fit into that strange, cliche category... but everything just clicked. Does that make sense? I didn't have to do a lot of thinking, the impulses were just there. The 'teacher' would tell me how the stunt works, demonstrate and then let me take the wheel and boom - I'd do a 90 degree slide into a parallel parking spot. (Which, by the way, is one of the funnest experiences EVER!) In the one day course I learned how to do most of the 'money shots' that you see in your basic car commercial. The skid to a stop on a 45 degree angle about a foot away from the lens of the camera (we used pylons, just in case), the skid into a parallel parking spot and the 180 degree turn (driving forwards, not reverse 180s... I'll have to try that one on my own) and then we just did a combination of those and a few easier stunts.

Unfortunately minivans aren't the greatest car to practice with, so I won't be able to do any of these stunts in my neighborhood. Plus, the stunt cars had this crazy awesome breaking system. One break petal was attached to the rear wheels to allow for skidding, while the normal break petal was attached to the front wheels so when you stepped on that one your car actually would stop. My next car is definitely going to have that tripped out breaking system... as well as about 50,000 spare tires, because those wear out FAST when you're skidding all over the place.

So, not only did I enjoy an entire day behind the wheel without someone yelling at me to slow down, but I also met a bunch of really cool stunt drivers. Apparently they're legends within the industry and they had the stories to prove it!

Bottom line: I'm going back. Maybe not until I'm done school because I, sadly, am not even close to being made of money, but I will go back to learn more... or just to have fun. Either way, I already know I won't regret it.

That's all I've got for now...

Keep it real!

Zoom Zoom?

Tomorrow I will be taking an all-day stunt driving course. I think I'm the only girl registered so no pressure... SOMEone has to break the stereotype that all women are horrible drivers... Tomorrow it'll have to be me. Like I said, no pressure. I've been excited about this for weeks, but now that it's almost here I'm mostly just nervous. I mean, I haven't driven a standard car in at least two years... but I'm very confident behind the wheel. Arguably too confident, if there is such a thing. My parents think so. I argue with that... 

What possessed me to take a stunt driving course, you ask? Well, I'm tired of watching awesome action movies with fantastic car chases etc and then getting into my minivan where the best thing I can do is weave in and out of traffic at high speeds. I don't want to be a dangerous driver - I don't like those guys. But I want to be able to drive fast, safely and *with style*. Plus, learning how to skid into a parallel parking spot is always a handy trick to know. That is apparently something I'll be learning how to do tomorrow.

I can't believe how nervous I am about this though. I'm just taking the novelty course. It's just for people who want to do a few tricks that they see in the movies. In a couple years I plan to actually become a certified stunt driver. That would look good on a resume, eh? But tomorrow's just for fun. All I need to do is relax and enjoy myself. I'm positive it'll be a blast. I love cars and I love stunts - what more could I ask for?

Anyway...

On a completely different note, I discovered that I have shin splints, so it means I can't run for a while until they go away. I bought new shoes so hopefully when I start running again the expensive shoes will keep the shin splints at bay. It sucks a little that as soon as I get into the groove of regular jogging expeditions I have to stop for long enough that I'll have to start back at square one again. A couple weeks ago I did 4K in 30 minutes. I was pretty proud, even though that's not spectacular by any means - it's still the best I'VE ever been able to do. So now I just use all the other equipment at my gym to make sure I don't fall behind even though I'm not running.

On Monday me and three friends are going to Niagara Falls for a two-day adventure. I would have loved to go to New York City, Los Angeles, or (best of all) Australia, but seeing as we are all poor students, we settled for Niagara for now. Traveling is traveling - it's always an adventure no matter how close you are to home, I guess. I'm looking forward to it. And then it's back to the daily grind... working at the doctor's office. Everybody's finding things for me to do there. It's fun enough. I can't wait 'til I have a job that I love. Still wondering what that'll look like, nevermind feel like. There are so many different things I'm becoming interested in. And yet, all of them are still within the film industry: actor, writer (of books OR screenplays), stunt something, director... all of those jobs sound appealing to me. Who knows?

I'm gonna go now though. I was in the middle of watching episode 6 of 'The Mentalist' Season 2... it's a good show. Hopefully I'll find time to write again soon. I'll probably have to rave about the stunt driving at some point. Though what I'm really looking forward to is not telling people what I learned, but SHOWING them. :D

Keep it real!

ALMOST there!

DUDE!! I haven't written a post in soo long! But I've still been writing - belieeeeeeeve me! Research papers, hermeneutics assignments, exams - and of course, none of those could stop me from writing a little more in my novel. But now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have two more exams this Wednesday and then SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

Summer.

*Sigh* I love that word. And the season. I'm so excited for summer. I'll have a full time job and will be wearing scrubs every. single. day. but that totally can't get me down this time around. I'm on a softball team - we're having our first practice this afternoon!! :D And I'm hoping to spend the next few months trying to get my book published - however that looks. Even if I don't get it published right away, I will self-publish a few copies just for fun. But my plan is to get it for real published - it'll happen ONE DAY.

What else will I be doing this summer?...

I'm going to Niagara Falls with a few friends for a mini road trip - can't wait!! I hope to spend plenty of weekends on a beach. I'm counseling at my church's day camp every so often when I have a day off from work. I love working at day camp. (Plus, it doesn't hurt the tan).

And then, of course, there's the unexpected. Who knows what else will happen this summer?! I'm leaving lots of room for the unexpected. A friend of mine is going to Australia for three weeks as a spur of the moment thing. I REALLY wanted to go with him, but it'll have to wait another year or two. But that doesn't mean nothing else will come up and maybe I'll be able to do some of the other stuff.

Tomorrow I'm going for a bike ride. It's supposed to be a beautiful day, so here's hoping!

Oh! I got an essay back that was worth 45% of my grade. Yeah - 45%!! Ridiculous. BUT I got a really good grade on it. I was surprised. So was my prof - haha! That could explain why I'm in such a great mood these days. Or maybe it's the natural endorphins from working out. Did I mention I joined a gym? I don't remember if I said anything about it...

...I joined a gym. It's SOO much fun! I only get to go twice a week 'cause it's a tiny bit far away. It had a really cheap membership fee so I thought, why not? I'm loving it so far. And I still love my short hair. :) Lots. I'm not going to keep it short... probably. I THINK I want to grow it out again, but I'm enjoying the short while it lasts.

Anyway, I guess I've talked for a while. I should probably go.

Keep it Real!! :)

Want Fantastic?

Today is a special day. One may even call it fantastic. Today is the day Fantastic Mr. Fox can enter the living rooms of homes all across North America.

If you haven't seen this yet, you need to rent it. It's great for all ages. Albeit, some... maybe most of the jokes will go over kids' heads, but that doesn't mean they won't be entertained.

It is based on the book bearing the same title by Roald Dahl; directed by Wes Anderson. Man, I don't even know where to start - there was so much to rave about! My sides were aching when I left the theater the first (and second and third) time I watched it. It has an amazing cast supplying voices to the most incredible characters I have ever 'met'. The story line is great and family friendly, the jokes are funny no matter how many times you quote them (and you'll be quoting them a lot, believe me) and the characters are so lovable in that 'what the heck is wrong with you?!' sort of way. It's very Wes Anderson even though it's his first 'animated' movie. That being said, you can't tell that this is the first time Wes tried his hand at stop-motion animation. It's so detailed... and FANTASTIC!

Oh man, just talking about it makes me want to go out and buy it right now. It is laugh-out-loud funny while still having a lot of heart. 

Thinking of renting a movie tonight? Fantastic Mr. Fox. Thinking of renting a movie tomorrow night? Fantastic Mr. Fox. Thinking of ... okay, you get the point.  TRUST ME, you will like this movie. ...Unless you don't like intelligent humour, complex yet relate-able (and hilarious) characters, and fun stories.

Go! Right now!! Rent it!

Keep it real! ;)

Incoming!

I just came back from taking my dog for an extra long stroll... I have an assignment due tomorrow - whenever I have an assignment I seem to find time for everything under the sun except, of course, the assignment.

So anyway, I was chilling outside with my dog and I suddenly noticed something weird about my lawn. It's not totally dead anymore... now, all of a sudden there are sporadic blades of GREEN.

It was a great reminder that winter is finally ending. Summer is my favorite season, and it's not just because that's my birthday season - I like warm weather. Waking up to a winter wonderland is great and all, but I find green trees, blossoming flowers and birds chirping to be a much more refreshing scene.

Anyway, I guess I should get back to my research paper... It's on A Midsummer Night's Dream, you can't blame me for constantly daydreaming about summer when my nose is stuck in that book. Though my thesis is completely obliterating the idea that love is anywhere within the pages of the story... good times. :) Haha!

Keep it real!

I Get Knocked Down

When no news is good news, getting that letter in the mail bearing news causes your heart to sink further than the floor and your stomach to do somersaults, threatening to bring back lunch. How do I know this? I got news yesterday. From Randomhouse.

Some of you know that I wrote a novel last year. It started out as just a little pet project for fun but I soon found myself eager to get to the computer everyday and would write for hours. I started in April and in September I found out about Randomhouse's teen fiction competition. The deadline was the end of December so I had a goal.

Obviously I finished it in time (just in time), or else I wouldn't be writing this blog. I've been nervous for the past two and a half months... until yesterday when I found out I didn't win.

The thing is, I'm not as disappointed as I thought I'd be. Maybe it's denial... but I don't think so. I have this perseverance that came out of no where and I think this new persistent side of me isn't going to let this small speed bump faze me. It's going to be harder and more expensive to get my book published now but I'm ready. Whatever it takes.

When I go back and read it over I always find myself thinking, 'wait, I wrote that? Really?'

Whenever I watch a video of me acting or singing, I've always got about 50 negative things to say about myself. I constantly critique myself all the time. But not with my writing. It's, like, the one thing I'm actually proud of. Well, that, and my mad driving skills.

So why would I give up on one of my proudest accomplishments? I wrote the story because I was tired of seeing all the 'same old' all the time.

It was a weird experience, writing my first novel, because it wasn't like the story came alive as I wrote the words... It came alive in my head - I'd watch it unravel and write down everything I saw. It really was like the story and all the characters had minds of their own and I was simply an observer. And since that's the case, I can say without being the least bit cocky (because it was a surprise to me as much as anyone) - it's a really great story. I love it. And the writing ain't half bad neither.

So yesterday's speed bump is today's motivation which will lead to tomorrow's victories. I've finally found something I love to do that I'm actually good at. Do you think I'm going to let one little competition get me down??

Keep it real!

Oscars 2010

So the Oscars were on last night. I watched them. I'm trying to find the right words to describe it. Not their best year, but still entertaining. Actually, the opening was great with Neil Patrick Harris. And then at some point this happened...

Probably the best Ben Stiller presentation in Oscar history. His, "Once I announce the win I'll stand as far away as possible so not to take away from the winner's honour and ruin this moment for them" was PRICELESS. Pretty funny guy.

It was a surprising year too. So many people walked away with unexpected Oscars. It's like it was the year of the underdog. The Hurt Locker won for best picture. Who saw that coming? It was up against Avatar!! But then, the Academy probably wanted to look patriotic more than environmentally friendly. Because if there's anything America's known for, it's their patriotism.... That came out sounding sarcastic, but it's the truest statement ever. So don't read it sarcastically...

Anywho, my FAVOURITE moment was Sandra Bullock's win. :D I haven't seen the Blind Side yet (please don't throw things at me), but from the commercials alone I can tell how much of her heart she put into that role. I think she deserves credit for the hard work she put into it and the choices she made in the past few years. Plus, I just like her a lot so I have an automatic bias anyway. Down-to-Earth Rom-Com Queen wins an Oscar for stepping outside of the box and her comfort zone. Me likes.

Does it astound anyone else that it took 82 Oscar Awards shows before a woman won for Best Director? And it looks like it'll take a few more before an African-American wins. How come it took so long? That being said, good on ya Kathryn Bigelow!


Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were pretty funny. There were a few laugh out loud lines which I really enjoyed. I'm still not sure why there were two presenters in the first place, but it worked out well. Plus, the shared pressure must have made it more bearable.

Bottom line, though: Bring Back Hugh Jackman :) That guy was (and still is) GOLD.


Keep it real!!