Faery under the New Moon

You know I can't stand crowds. I try to stay away, but... looks like I've succumbed to the madness. I'm heading out, folks - got one foot out the door already for the San Diego Comic-Con, baby...

Lining my ass up at the butt-crack of dawn with my homegirls from back in tha day - just so we can see the New Moon panel and Mr. Rob Pattinson in the flesh. Don't worry - I'll behave. It's actually my friends that I'm worried about... o_0

I have a confession to make... I've been cheating on you... All PFach's fault. I set up a new Twitter account to help support him for that bet against Rob DeFranco, and started tweeting with real life friends. Who, of course, don't know anything about MDawg.

Then I started tweeting with all my Twi friends over there, too - a couple who I'll actually get to MEET this Thursday!! I'm so stoked - Violette and I met at Twifans and have been emailing each other back and forth. Homegirl is going to Vancouver soon and taking the ultimate tour over at TwilightSetTours.com. How cool is that?!

And the admins over at @CullenBoysAnon and @Twifans - can't wait to meet these two ladies, especially Kim over at CullenBoysAnonymous.com. We "met" when I posted about meeting Kellan up at the San Francisco Twi-Tour. Turns out she actually found me through a google alert when I showed you guys those "Emmett PJ's" that Hubz got me for my birthday - what a trip!! I *heart* Google.

And of course, can't forget my TwilightMOMS. :D

So I'll be going on vaca - mixed this up with a bit of family time and a weekend soiree in Vegas for just me and the Hubz. Let's see...

-Quality time with the kids and family in SD

-Twilighting with friends at Comic-Con and the "Twilight Experience"

-Party time in sin city with the Hubz

I think the next couple of weeks might be a whirlwind, but I have a feeling I'll have me a blast. Or a helping of @billy_burke - seeing as he confirmed his attendance on Twitter. ;)

Follow me over here for updates during Comic-Con and this whole crazy ride - will get back to tweeting at @MammaDawg when I get back. Looking forward to tweet ups with ya - and if you're gonna be at Comic-Con this Thursday... holla!!!

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Half-Blood Prince Spoiler Free Review

I was stupefied. Me. I just sat there, staring at the screen – but not seeing the end credits… Not ready to believe that it was actually over. It couldn’t end like that.

But I was snapped out of denial when the 300 people in the sneak preview screening around us started to get up out of their seats. It was a full house of Harry Potter fans, some of whom had lined up starting at 2pm for a 7:30pm showing. 2pm. We’d all won free passes from the newspaper to see HP6 a little over 29 hours before its official release.

We’d get to see it before the rest of the world did.

Like previous Harry Potter films, The Half-Blood Prince delivered. The screenplay, the visual effects, the cinematography, the actors’ performances… Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix is absolutely wicked, and Tom Felton drips with hostility as Draco.

I wanted to cry with Hermione, and when Ron was trying out for the Quidditch team? That was one of my most favorite parts.

Well, that and when Harry drank the Felix potion. OMG – Daniel Radcliffe’s delivery?! Superb. Brilliant. It still makes me laugh and it's hours later!

But like all book-to-film adaptations… There. Will. Be. Changes. I expected them, and I’m almost always okay with them. But there was one, big change in The Half-Blood Prince that did not sit well with me…

It was as if someone had hit me with the Confundus Charm.


I’d been getting tweets, asking how the movie was. What did you think of it? Was it as good as we thought it’d be?

When we left the theater, this is what I tweeted:

"Just got out of HP6 and am driving home... I guess I'm a bit... stupefied. But - does it deliver? You bet it does."

The 45-minute drive home felt twice as long. I wanted that book, damnit! In the car, the boys and I hashed out the scenes and talked about our favorite parts. The 8 y/o about died when he found out his 15 y/o brother literally jumped out of his seat. I won’t tell you when, but if you can picture a guffaw from Emmett, then you can appreciate Numbnuts laughing at Einstein. ;)

When we got home, I tore the house up looking for my copy of The Half-Blood Prince, frustration pouring out as I confirmed my suspicions.

You know I had to tweet through it:

"Tearin' the house up looking for the book - Half Blood Prince"

"I knew it. I KNEW IT! Ugh! I thought I was getting the books mixed up, but no - that wasn't it..."

"They changed the ending - it's the same, but then again... it's not. You gotta let me know when you see HP6!"

But I promised… No spoilers. *tortured cry*

I'm hoping, maybe, with this heads-up, you'll have a different reaction. I'm trying to rewind and see it in my head - not thinking about the ending - and asking myself, "Was it still a good movie?"

Well, of course, it is! It's still entertaining, still follows the story... [Pause.] So why the hell do I feel... shortchanged?

So. *clears throat* When you’ve had a chance to see it, holla! Please?! We need to talk!!

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Who's Your Brand of Potato Chips?

I can win free tickets to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? On Monday, July 13th - before everyone else?

All I have to do is name my favorite characters, huh? Hmnnn...

Severus Snape. I very well may just re-read the entire series (again) just because of Snivellus. And Alan Rickman's portrayal is perfect - every time I see him on HP, his delivery is bloody brilliant.

Or wait. It might be Sirius Black. I could kill Bellatrix myself, except... that cackle of hers is frickin' wicked!

But how can I forget the original trio? Ron, Hermione and Harry Potter himself? Or Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, of course!!

No, wait. Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. Yes.

*gasp* Mr. and Mrs. Weasley!! I can't leave out Harry's surrogate parents?!!

Forget it. I could go on and on and on. Thank goodness you didn't ask for our ONE favorite character - I'd be stuck like potato chips. You can't have just one. ;)

What about you - who are your favorite characters??

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A Widow, a Robot and a Sister

It must be these triple digits, trying to escape from the heat... I mean, why else would I go so much... especially with ticket prices these days?!

I've been using entertainment guide coupons and buying passes from Costco instead of paying full price for tickets at the movie box.

I won't give up any spoilers, but in the last couple of weeks, we've already seen 3 new shows - one for the kids, one for the, *cough* um, boys, and a chic flick for me:

UP
A house? Flying with balloons? Honestly, I wasn't very excited to see this one at all. But we wanted to take the kids and you know what??

OMG - it was so cute! And sad, in a way... but it entertained all of us - from the 4 y/o to the 40 y/o (Hubz), who normally sneaks in a nap when we take the kids to the movies.


TRANSFORMERS 2
The boys and I had been waiting for this one. We even watched the first one the night before to prep for it. And... WOW.

It was good. Really good. I was even roarin' with laughter at some points. Right up until the last 30 minutes, when some broad behind me kept knockin' my chairback.

It happens, right? You're switching positions, trying to get comfortable - you accidentally kick the chair in front of you. Ah shit. So you move a little slower, try to be more careful.

Okay. No biggie. We've all been there, done that. I wasn't gonna trip.

But THIS bitch.

She kept going and going. And going. WTF? As if she was trying to count up to 100 by kicking my chair in beats.

I finally turned around, looked her dead in the eye - willing her to do it again, and turned back around - nice and slow.

And enjoyed the last half hour in peace. But c'mon now... why do people have to push you like that? I don't wanna have to get in your face, but if you give me a reason to... *shrugs* I'd be happy to oblige.


MY SISTER'S KEEPER
I just read this book a couple of weeks ago. I'd meant to just read a few chapters here and there, before watching the movie. But in the first couple of chapters, it was already pulling on my heart strings.

I couldn't put it down!

An incredible, powerful story of what this family has gone through. One daughter diagnosed at 2 with leukemia, her older brother proving NOT to be a match.

And the parents decide to design a baby - a perfect match - who decides 11 years later that she's not going to donate anything anymore, and hires a lawyer to sue her parents for the rights to her own body.

It was a little different from the book, and they changed a few things - which was to be expected. But I was okay with most of them - it didn't take away from the story, and the screenplay still worked.

EXCEPT FOR ONE THING.

You might've heard it already, but I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't. UGH! It was so frustrating, it just cheapened everything in the story. Okay, I'm gonna quit now before I break my promise!

*shakes it off*

We've got two more shows coming up that I can't wait to see: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and The Time Traveler's Wife.

Hmnn... I just realized... when HP6 got pushed back and Twilight took its place, I hadn't even heard of it yet.

"WTF is Twilight? I don't give a shit about no 'Twilight' - I wanna see The Half-Blood Prince!!"

Who would've thought? ;) Happy Independence Day!!

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