Illusions and dreams as usual, it seems.

Her blog is the second time EVER that I have heard of a "white elephant" Christmas party. From what it sounds like, it is the same thing as what I grew up referring to "Dirty Santa". Are these two types of parties the same thing? Does anyone know? I mentioned dirty santa to someone recently, and they thought that was crazy, and that it sounded inappropriate. Sorry. ANYhoo, I want both an answer AND to send this question out into the void.

Goodnight (morning) dear void.

-Why did I stay up an extra hour, mindlessly browsing on the internet, only to now post on Pleonast, perfectly aware that I have to wake up in 5 1/2 hours to go to work?

-Why did I go Christmas shopping today, and end up spending more money on things for myself?

-Why was I so clumsy at work that I broke two bottles IN A ROW tonight, the second in the exact same place as the first, right after I had just swept up the shards of glass and moped the Pellegrino up from the floor?

-Why do I watch You've Got Mail ALL the time, and quote it the rest of the time? (At least there's a decent answer to THAT one.)

-And tell me why, again, I chose to live 800 miles away from ALL of my friends? I made this decision, so I shouldn't complain about loneliness, but why?

"I'm nothing on my own/ Got to get that message home"

I liked it better than the third one.

Why I liked it:
1. The fourth book is the biggest turning point in the series which changes them from a few interesting little stories, like the Lemony Snicket series, to an interwoven series, in which each book answers questions left unanswered by the last, and leaves you with even more at the end. The movie did a good job of accomplishing this feeling.
2. Although, as it has to be when you adapt a 900+ page book into a 2 1/2 hour long movie, many things were left out, and many of these things were somewhat important to the HP readers, they did a fair job of cutting things that were uncrucial to the plot (such as the Dobby/S.P.E.W. thing), and left in most of the important plot points, changing things only when necessary.
3. The World Cup -- well done.
4. Overall, it seemed to stay truer to the book than the previous movies had done. I liked that.

However...what I did not like:
1. Deliberately changing things that do not need to be changed. Adding little details, when they are perfectly interesting the way J.K.R. wrote them. (such as having Harry and the horntail go for a romp on the roof of the school, destroying half of it as they went, I may say, when they are supposed to have a rousing battle WITHIN the little amphitheatre; or having the maze expand for what looks like miles, when it is supposed to take place inside the Quidditch field)
2. Dumbledore. I mourn the loss of Richard Harris. What's-his-name did an o.k. job in 3 making up for the loss of R.H., but in this movie I do not like him. We need to start realizing that Dumbledore is getting old, and he acts with the agility of a teenager in this movie. Dumbledore should also act with much more calmness than this guy does.
3. Speaking of mourning, I REALLY miss John Williams. The score is lacking, to say the least. Besides the fact that they BARELY used John's original main theme (what happened to playing it in the beginning?--think Star Wars--it gets me psyched when I hear the theme play before I have even seen a credit on the screen), the music was far too...pretty...for a dark movie like this. And did anyone else sit through all of the credits and hear the song they played at the end? What kind of junk is that?
4. Did J.K.R. ever mention a mosh pit in the book? I didn't think so.
5. Too much junk added, just for the sake of a PG-13 rating (an inappropriate camara angle at the entrance of the Beauxbatons girls, a disgusting, dirty-minded Moaning Myrtle, etc.)
6. As with the other movies, differences in the setting portrayed in the movie, and Hogwarts as I imagine it, as well as incongruencies from movie to movie. (Hogwarts is supposed to have a front lawn, but it definitely does not, as it is situated on the top of a rocky cliff; the black lake)
7. Certain things need to be played up more than they are. For instance, in the books, it is a HUGE thing when someone says Voldemort's name. It just isn't done. I want to see more of a reaction.

I could go on and on. I am too much a fan of the books to not be critical of the movies. But I did like it better than 3. I did not like 3. Here's a question? What did you think about Voldemort? I still am unsure.

If you did not already know, I take a LOT of pictures. And then I don't want to spend the necessary money to develop them. Therefore, this Gemeinschaft (hey, it's in the thesaurus, look it up) of pictures all ended up being developed at the same time. They encompass Summer 2004, F.C. 04-05, and Summer 2005. Enjoy!:)

------------------------------------------------------------
Correction:
I have just found the actual definition of gemeinschaft, which is not at all the meaning I was going for. How about let's stick with English words from now on. Try "conglomeration."
------------------------------------------------------------

Karen REALLY needs a tissue.

AL Jr. 2004

Alpha Club -- behind the scenes.

M.M.04.

There's no "I" in Blue Cheese!

Camp Friends 2005

We were actually NEVER clean as camp friends...

Is he not the cutest thing ever???

:-)

Have a blessed day!