Whilst I am working on some of my "missions" simultaneously (and they won't be done until the last day!), I did inspire a couple of my friends to create their own lists. Only one - my good friend Shana has completed and published hers so far. Nevertheless, that enables me to check off #76 on my list!

Thank you Shana!

It is a great list - you can find it here!

It's been a while since I participated. But one of my 101 "missions" is to post a photochallenge at least once every month. It's going to be hectic the next few months with the move and all. But I'll try. Here is my first one!

The subject for this week is

REALIZATIONS
suggested by Sezwick

I guess my realization lately is that - "We make plans - God laughs!" You can do all the worrying you want - sometimes you just have to "believe" that everything will be alright. Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith and "believe" that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.

I have two versions (well ... actually ... I had four ... but chose two). Which one do you like best?

My Marxy friend Melly posted this mission on her facebook! I thought it was a cool idea - sort of a "Bucket List" (you know... things you want to accomplish before you kick the bucket) with a twist. This is a mission to complete these 101 things in 1001 days. You know, it wasn't easy to come up with 101 things, given the time frame. I sort of have a "bucket list", but not everything fits in that timeframe. So anyway... here is my list. I tag everybody who would like to participate. No pressure... LOL! I know life gets in the way. It'll be hard for me with the move and all... but I'm gonna try!

Check back here for progress reports. My mission starts on 1/12/2009 and ends on 10/12/2011

It's New Year's Eve. Wow .... how fast this year flew by. Seriously! We keep saying that, but I think the older we get the faster time goes by. I really do. Anyway.... time to reflect back on the last year. How better than with those lovely surveys and questionnaires? Will you join me? I tage everybody that wants to participate! I love catching up with people like that! 

If you want to see what movies, books and music I enjoyed this year. Go to www.listography.com/assipassi. I have lists there! Lists over lists! The site is not all how I want it to be yet. No time yet. But it's a fun site, and I have lists of what movies I watched, together with links to my reviews on flixter! Check it out. It's really fun! I've watched a couple more movies in the last few weeks, but I will update the lists today!

Here are the surveys!

FAVORITES FROM 2008

1.)What was your favorite song ?
Supermassive Black Hole 

2.)Who was your favorite band?
Muse

3.)What was your favorite smell?
still  anything with Fresias

4.)What was your favorite food?
salad - and Hershey's kisses!

5.)What was your favorite moment?
spending Twilight Weekend with my girls Cynde and Angie

6.)What was your scariest moment?
I don't think anything really, really scary happened.

7.)What was something you wish to forget?
Losing Anette

8.)What was your favorite gift?
Cynde's photobook from NY..... Great Memories!

9.)What was something you wanted but did not get?
paying off my credit cards

10.)What New Years resolution did you NOT accomplish?
I didn't make any last year.

AND ANOTHER.... MORE EXTENSIVE ONE!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Quit a job before having a new one.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm not sure that I had any. For next year I will vow to get on the Wii fit every day  and I will take piano lessons this year!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
yes - Julie

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes - I still can't believe Anette is gone.

5. What countries did you visit?
none - sigh

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
some sense of "normalcy" and a job

7. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 1st - my last day with Delta, one sad day in August (see #4), October 4-6 Equus Trip to NY with Cynde and 11/20 through 23! - Twilight girls weekend out and visit from Angie

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't feel I've achieved anything, really.

9. What was your biggest failure?
still not paying off my bills.....

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
nope - thank God!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Macbook, hands down - together with the ipod touch and the wireless printer.... Woot - Thank you Cynde!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Cynde for going through with WW, Sylvi and family for taking me in, Angie for going on a roadtrip for the first time and spending an important moment with me!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Bernie

14. Where did most of your money go?
bills, the laptop

15.What did you get really, really, really excited about?
duh!

16.What song will always remind you of 2008?
Decode

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? - happier .... I think
ii. thinner or fatter? - thinner ... thanks to WW
iii. richer or poorer? - about the same, but considering I don't have a job lined up yet - poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
writing

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
dunno?

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
traditional Christmas Eve at home

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
sort of  *sheepish grin* (see #34)

22. How many one-night stands?
None

23. What was your favorite TV program?
The West Wing (reruns ... LOL)

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I'm a lover, not a fighter .... umm... hater.....

25. What was the best book you read?
hmmm Breaking Dawn comes to mind (or Midnight Sun, if that counts) ... but I'm not done with Inkdeath yet.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Muse (sorry Shana); and rediscovered 3 Doors Down

27. What did you want and get?
Retirement from Delta and moving to Colorado.

28. What did you want and not get?
paying off my bills

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I liked a few..... Twilight, though not THE best movie has to be MY favorite, though, because it has Rob in a leading role.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
went to sis for a little party. I was.... um .... 25 .... (again)

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
if we had known in July that we're going to Colorado and moved earlier.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
jeans, shorts and t-shirts still rule, but the jeans are size 10/12 now and the shirts M or L, instead of 2X -  Woot!

33. What kept you sane?
Who says I stayed sane??? - LOL - but yeah... my sis and my animals

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
ummm... what's that guys name..... you know... the guy that played Edward in that movie...... you know.... Robert Pattinson, duh!

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
aerial hunting of wolves in Alaska, and proposition 8, I suppose

36. Who did you miss?
see #4

37. Who was the best new person you met?
I guess that would be Dawn

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
We make plans - God laughs

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“Take this job and “shove” it!”

If it wasn’t for my Xanga, I would never be able to recall what I did when. If I ever needed an alibi for something I would be really in trouble, as I usually can’t even remember what the heck I did just yesterday.

It seems that after initially doing a lot for myself at the start of the year, after trying to really life my life and trying to enjoy and persue the things I love, I have really been slacking on writing my fanfiction, writing my blog, reading on a daily basis and pursuing my photography. Ironically, it seems that I did a lot more during the first half of the year, when I was still employed, than I am doing now - or at least more “fun” and personal things.

I went to Wrestlemania - what an experience that was! The experience of a lifetime. Not that we saw much of the action in the ring, but just being there was amazing. I saw Bon Jovi in concert, again - as well as my alltime favorite Richard Marx - TWICE! And, thanks to my BFF Cynde, got to meet him both times. Saw Equus with Dan Radcliffe on Broadway Went on vacation in Colorado and made a huge life decision. After 11 years I left Delta Air Lines. They offered an “early retirement” to cut costs and the offer was too good to pass up. I do not miss the stress and the getting up at 2 in the morning!

On the heels of that I moved in with Sis’ in Georgia. I moved the menagerie, put my stuff in storage and took refuge in the third bedroom. It’s not always easy - for either of the parties. I am selfish (to a point) and like being on my own, being able to do what I want to do. Although they do not “put me in shackles” it is still a challenge to life WITH somebody else after being responsible for no one but myself. A lot of me doing stuff at my “whim” has to take a backseat right now - which is “ok”. It’s going to have to change in the future, but right now I guess it’s a fair trade-off for living rent-free.

And then there was an emotional whirlwind, as we had the release of Breaking Dawn, the Twilight movie, me finally bying a decent laptop - a macbook, and then our move to Colorado falling through and being changed to Kentucky - and .... late breaking news ... being changed to Colorado again (!) and, of course, the whammy - my best friend in Germany, Anette, passing away! So as this year is drawing to a close I’ll be really busy with petsitting, starting to work at Weight Watchers and getting ready for the move. Note and promise to self: get back into writing, blogging, reading and photography - gotta do it!

For a list of books I’ve read this year, movies I’ve seen and music I’ve listened to, watch my Xanga in the next few weeks! There will also be links to my reviews, if you want to compare our tastes. Other than that come find me on facebook, or wer-kennt-wen, or send me an email.

And with that I wish you a Merry Christmas 2008 and a Happy New Year 2009 (wow... almost a decade since Y2K)!

AND FOR MY GERMAN PEEEPS!

Wenn ich meine Xanga nicht haette, waere ich ganz schoen verloren. Falls ich jemals ein Alibi brauche, steck’ ich ganz schoen tief drin, weil ich mich ja normalerweise noch nicht mal d’ran erinnern kann, was ich gerade gestern mal gemacht habe.

Sieht aber ganz so aus, als haette ich, nachdem ich Anfang des Jahres ‘ne ganze Menge fuer mich getan habe - wie meine fanfiction und blog schreiben, jeden Tag lesen und fotografieren - das auf einmal aufgegeben. Komischerweise habe ich viel mehr fuer mich getan, als ich noch in zwei jobs gearbeitet habe. Jetzt wo ich eigentlich “Zeit” ist - nix mehr! Seltsam!?

Ich war bei Wrestlemania. Was fuer ein Erlebnis - sowas passiert nur einmal im Leben. Obwohl wir keinen blassen Schimmer hatten, was im Ring vor sich ging - war total egal. Einfach dort zu sein war es wert! Ich sah Bon Jovi wieder einmal live in concert, wie auch meinen absoluten Lieblingssinger Richard Marx. Den sogar zweimal - und habe ihn dann auch, Dank meine sehr guten Freundin Cynde beide male getroffen. Bin mit jener auch nach New York und sah Dan Radcliffe in Equus on Broadway. Ging auf Urlaub nach Colorado und traf eine riesige Lebens-aendernde Entscheidung. Nach 11 Jahren habe ich Delta Air Lines verlassen. Die boten uns die Fruehrente an, und das Angebot war zu gut, um nein zu sagen. Ich vermisse den Stress und das fruehe Aufstehen auf gar keinen Fall.

Direkt danach bin ich zur Sylvi nach Georgia gezogen. Ich habe meinen kleinen Zoo eingepackt, meinen Kram in ein Lager geschafft und mich im 3. Schlafzimmer verkrochen. Das ist nicht immer leicht - fuer keinen von uns. Ich bin da doch ein wenig egoistisch und mag es, wenn ich einfach machen kann was ich will. Das ist im Moment dann doch nicht so ganz moeglich. Ist eben doch was anderes ob man nur fuer sich selbst verantwortlich ist, oder ob man auch auf andere Ruecksicht nehmen muss. Dadurch bleibt halt einiges, was ich gerne machen wuerde, hinten anstehen. Das muss sich zukuenftig dann wieder aendern, ist aber im Moment ok, und halt ein fairer Tausch dafuer, dass ich ja keine Miete bezahle!

Der Rest war wie eine Actherbahn, mit AUFS und ABS: die Publikation von Breaking Dawn, und dem Film “Twilight” mit meinem Lieblingsschauspieler Robert Pattinson, der lang-erwartete Umzug von Colorado wurde auf Kentucky geaendert, ich mit neuem laptop - einem Macbook, meine beste Freundin Anette stirbt und wir koennen noch nicht mal zur Beerdigung, und gerade noch rechtzeitig vor Druck dieses Briefes - die orders wurden auf Colorado geaendert.

Jetzt, wo das Jahr sich seinem Ende neigt bin ich ziemlich beschaeftigt mit petsitting und arbeiten bei Weight Watchers, so wie auch fuer den Umzug vorzubereiten. Aber fuers Neue Jahr verspreche ich mir selbst, dass ich wieder mehr schreibe, blogge, lese und fotografiere! Bis dahin, geht bitte die naechsten paar Wochen auf meinen Blog, um zu sehen welche Buecher ich dieses Jahr gelesen habe, welche Filme ich gesehen habe und was fuer Musik ich gehoert habe. Da gibt es dann auch links zu meinen reviews, damit ihr unsere Geschmaecker vergleichen koennt.
Ansonsten findet mich auf facebook, wer-kennt-wen oder emailed mir doch einfach.

Und damit wuensche ich Euch ein Frohes Weihnachtsfest 2008 und einen Guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr 2009
(wow... schon fast ein Jahrzehnt seit Y2K!)

... or call it a lesson in trusting that things WILL work out the way they are supposed to.

So for everybody who has wondered about my cryptic facebook status this morning. Here is the story ... Well.... I gotta go back a little bit ....

If you remember, I was all excited to be moving to Colorado Springs by the end of the year, when my brother-in-law would be finished with his schooling. However, in May or so, the army threw us a curve ball and Hal's orders were made out for Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. There were different avenues he pursued to try to change things and we weren't too concerned at first. Even went out to Colorado to check things out. But there came a point when all options were exhausted and in order to get organized and look for jobs and a house we had to accept and "move on". We started making contacts, looked for houses online, Sylvi even had a job already. I began "liking" the idea of being in a new place, where I could still be somewhat close to my BFF and some other great friends. We finally set a moving date for January - just yesterday - and Sylvi and Hal were supposed to go out to KY today to get a house.

Until...... this morning.... when Hal gets a phone call, saying that Ft. Carson Colorado is available, if he still wants it.

So now I'm all discombobulated. Because, of course, I'm happy - this is my dream to move out there! And I'm grateful to Hal who really tried everything in his power and I'm sure the lady who called him this morning remembered him, BECAUSE he was in her office constantly. On the other hand I'm ticked off, that they couldn't change it sooner. All this agony, anxiety and confusion we went through. All this work - for nothing. I spent all online yesterday, writing applications. Now, that we've scheduled the movers and are ready to move on with our lives - here comes the wicked curve ball - AGAIN!

I feel like my life is on hold again - somewhat. Because, again, I don't know WHEN I'll be moving. Hal still has to be there in January. Luckily he has relatives that he can stay with, so we don't have any extra cost. But I don't have a job. I can't really look for anything longterm here, but I also don't know when I'll be in Colorado, which makes looking there hard. I feel like I've been on hold for the last 6 months. This period should have been awesome - without having to work and just doing what I love. But it somehow hasn't worked out that way.

OK .... *breathe* .....

I really don't want to sound like an ungrateful b@#$ch! Just had to vent.

Guess I'll just have to trust that God has a plan for us after all and that the rest of it will work out as it is supposed to as well!

Not to worry.......  Edward will be back.... but I felt like spreading the Christmas Spirit on my blog as well.

As I wrote my Christmas Letter I realized that lately I have not done as much for myself as I wanted to - ironically enough, as I have all the time in the world, or so it seemed. I miss keeping up this blog, I miss writing, taking pictures - all that good stuff. So I'm going to make a conscious effort to keep this up more. Who knows... maybe I can even lure some of my friends back here for the occasional update. *wink*

It is high time to be writing this Twilight “weekend report” as well as my movie review. I just wanted to let everything settle a little.

So..... Angie surprised me a few months ago when she all of a sudden announced she was saving money for a road trip. I was so surprised to find out that she wanted to come to see Twilight together with me and Cynde. But her explanation floored and humbled me. Because she knows how much I love Rob Pattinson, and how important it was for me to see him on the big screen in a leading role, she wanted to be there to experience it with me. That she put that on the same level with me coming to her son’s last ballgame in high school touched my heart! Even more so hat I know what a huge deal it was for her to leave her family and go on a trip like this by herself for the first time.

So Angie drove 6 hours to Columbus and then we got in the car and drove 2 hours more to be with Cynde. We had the whole afternoon for a girls’ night out! We started off with going to Borders - no Borders in Columbus - to try to score some Twilight merchandise - not much luck. Then we went to Hot Topic for the same reason! And we finally scored! Much Bling was to be had.

stopping at Hot Topic

showing off the new bling

the lady at Macy's was a Twilight Fan also

yes, we are ROCKSTARS - like Cam

we likes the bad boys

RAWR

Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe was Cynde’s awesome idea!

the caffeine kicked in!

After that it was off to the movie theater. It was still early, so we stopped at Barnes & Noble for a quick caffeine fix. We had tried all day to curb the drinking of any beverage, for fear of having to go during the movie. But we just couldn’t handle it anymore! While there, we met some other Twilighters who had the same idea to kill some time. All during the day, by the way, we’d run into people who commented on our Edward shirts “are you going tonight?”, “the movie is coming out”, “love Edward”.... stuff like that! Too funny. Twilight is truly a phenomenon.

waiting in line at the theater
look at all those orbs - and I had just talked about my Mom!

We arrived at the theater 2 hours early and they seated us about 30 minutes later. The teeny bopper fangirls were very loud and enthusiastic. We were very worried for the movie. Angie actually wanted to give them their beatdown before the movie even started, just so that we could get it over with and then enjoy the movie. But very astoundingly enough, they were pretty quiet and stayed calm during the movie. It was Cynde who hollered out during the Port Angeles scene when Edward picks up Bella. LOL ... But seriously ... it was a good crowd.... clapping, yelling, gasping at the appropriate moments. When somebody tried to start giggling or hollering stupidly, others would shssshhhhh them or they would stop themselves. It was very, very interesting. (Now .... the second and third time is a totally different story!) LOL

in our seats - no, it's not the first row, but it is the first row in front of the wheelchair spaces... lot's of leg room, nobody in front of us!

Cynde was so excited, she peed!!!!!

******* And now for the MOVIE REVIEW (beware *****SPOILERS***** abound - plenty of *****SPOILERS*****!!!) ******

I have a shorter, unspoiled movie review on my flixster on facebook. But if you are up for my detailed report, I’d love for you to read on (and on, and on ...) and to leave me comments to discuss!

When Summit first took over Twilight I figured it would be an independent release with hopefully a little more extended distribution, due to the popularity of the  books. I think that’s what Summit thought as well. They had no idea what they were in for. The budget to make this movie was very low with $37 million. And then it quickly started spiraling out of control and became this HUGE event due to fan interest. I was never worried that Rob could pull it off, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about the adaptation.

When the first trailer came out, I had more confidence. And I wasn’t disappointed! I thought Melissa Rosenberg did an excellent job translating the story - which is, after all, a first person narrative - to the screen. Unless you want the whole movie to be a voice over, because everything is going on in Bella’s head, one needs to find a way to project what she is thinking, seeing and going through onto the screen with moving pictures. I think Rosenberg did that and did it quite cleverly at that. At first I was confused about Bella and Edward getting to know each other - that it is over several days, different places, asking questions. But I DO like it. That’s more like it is in real life, too - isn’t it? I almost made the mistake in the beginning to look for the same continuity and timeline as in the book - meaning I started to compare. But I ditched that pretty quickly, because it distracts and leads to malcontent. The way Rosenberg modified the time- and storyline works for the movie. Same with the reveal scene, for example. In the movie it comes right after Bella finds out that Edward is a vampire. But in the context of the movie it works. I loved the fact that Bella figures out the vampire stuff on her own, after Jacob gives her only some cryptic legends. The only gripe I had with that in the movie is that she “googles” Quileute legends, but instead of researching those on the internet, she buys a book about them and then, referencing the book, goes back on the internet to google keywords from the book. I mean, I know WHY they did it that way - they had to set up the scene with the bookstore to get Bella away from Jessica and Angela .... but still ..... However, overall it is not about the comparison of the book and the movie. The question is: Did the story make it onto the screen intact? Are all the elements there? I believe so! Much of the important dialogue made it, as did many of the favorite quotes. Furthermore, I think Melissa Rosenberg and the director Catherine Hardwicke totally understand and “get” what Stephenie Meyer wanted to say in the book. They have both said that they loved the story and it is obvious to me that they are both very good at their crafts, because I think they did an excellent job.

The first time I saw the movie (yes, I have seen it more than once ... LOL) the beginning was really choppy to me and the acting started to worry me. Dread started to wash over me, until the Cullens entered the cafeteria. From then on it picked up. BUT ... now after seeing it twice more, I think I understand. I’m not sure about the choppyness ... maybe it’s just because the anticipation was so great - but the acting I definitely understand. Those kids are supposed to be slightly annoying, and quirky and .... ummm ... lame. Bella is the new kid in school and the situations and the dialogue is awkward - it’s supposed to be like that.

The cast is darn near perfect. Two main concerns I had from the casting were Nikki Reed as Rosalie and Peter Facinelli as Carlisle. I still think Rosalie is not beautiful enough, but Nikki Reed has the part down! She is perfect as the “jealous bitch”. I’m not enthused about the hair on Peter Facinelli, but when he enters the emergency room after the van accident. I audibly gasped - along with the whole theater. He had an awesome presence just walking in. Maybe it was partly how the shot was set up (which is, of course, the director’s job) - but Peter also understands that character. Those are some awesome actors! He was definitely the patriarch. The scene in the baseball field, where he introduces his family to the Nomads. There is NO question, that he is the leader and that everybody looks to him for guidance. When he says “The girl is with us” .... the authority is unmistaken. “The game is over.” In the Cullen garage, when Rosalie refuses to put on Bella’s coat - he puts her in her place. Not mad, or with screaming, but firm and with authority. And I also loved Peter’s gestures here. He ever so slightly tilted his head, took a deep breath and you could read in his face that he had enough of Rosalie’s shenenigans. There was no question that she needed to obey. And finally later in the ballet studio. When he says to Edward “Don’t forget who you are, son!” Again, not screaming, not frantic in this crazy moment, but calm and with reassurance. You could see the love he has for his son and the anguish he feels for him and his situation. Yet he is calm, in control and the one the others look to for guidance. Kudos to Peter Facinelli - I hang my head in shame for ever doubting him.

Jasper and Alice were perfect. Jackson Rathbone, although not physically tall and leonine as described in the book still conveyed that about Jasper. His screen presence WAS Jasper. The constant fight against his primal instincts written on his face, as well as the emotions of others. The baseball scene was fantastic. I had to pick Angie up off the floor when Jasper twirled that bat. Love Alice - loved her in the book, love her in the movie. Sweet, flirty, dreamy, dancy Alice. But do NOT underestimate her, or it might cost you your head! That scene was awesome! Holy crap! I think I yelled that out loud during the movie. I loved that shot! I love that it was Alice who ripped James’ head off.

Speaking of the bad guys .... Cam Gigandet was fabulous - as we could pretty much see already from the previews. Too bad James is not in New Moon - although Cam seems to think so, LOL!  And, of course, Victoria was spectacular as well. I read in an interview that she had fun making this movie. And that showed! I can’t wait to see her in New Moon. Nice set-up for that, by the way. You can’t tell me that Summit didn’t already plan for the sequel before they officially announced it on Friday. Come on!

Charlie and Billy were great. I didn’t picture Charlie quite like him, but his character was dead on. Billy was just as I imagined! Perfect casting. Which brings me to Jacob. Taylor Lautner so far has only annoyed me with his exuberance in interviews and sometimes it comes across as “being full of himself”. How very Jacob of him. I’ve also read a lot of nice things about him that he does for the fans. However, seriously, sometimes it seems that he thinks he is a bigger star than he really is. Little annoyed by his exceptionally white teeth. Especially in the beach scene. Anybody notice that ironically, it is him who has the pronounced canine teeth? His acting, however, convinced me - especially that staredown at the end! Wow! - So yes, I have no worries about his acting ability. What worries me is that he needs to grow a few inches and bulk up on some muscles - and fast!

Kristen Stewart - well .... the first time I watched it, I wasn’t thrilled. The constant stammering, head shaking and blinking of the eyes got on my nerves. But seeing it the second and third time I believe that was part of her interpretation. Like I’ve said before - much of the dialogue is supposed to be awkward. Bella herself is awkward in a lot of ways. Only later does she gain a little more confidence. Her relationship with Edward is awkward at the beginning, to say the least. So yeah ... I believe it’s how Kristen chose to portray all that and I can live with that now. There is NO question that Rob and her have chemistry. So she does work for me for the movie. I even saw some brilliant moments. It seems to be every time when she needs to “let loose”. When Bella gets in the Jeep and Edward tries to buckle her in and she yells at him, when she yells at James that Edward has nothing to do with that, when she is in the hospital and is so scared because Edward tells her he has to leave her - that scene is her best one in the movie. It actually made me cry this time around. When she says “Don’t ever say that to me - you can not leave me.” Yes, I had tears in my eyes. (Maybe because I was already thinking about New Moon.) So maybe she was overanalyzing things for her other shots and needs to focus more on her gut feelings. But I DO see a lot of potential for New Moon. I actually can’t wait to see what she makes of it.

That leaves out only one, right? Remember the above disclaimer? Good! Because I’m not somebody to gloat out loud ... but ... I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!! And ... I’m not just saying that because I love Rob. If you know me, you know that I can be objective and that I WILL say if somebody’s performance sucked, regardless whether I’m a fan or not. But Rob nailed this role. He BECAME Edward. And it’s not just me saying that. Even people who still can’t accept him as their “physical” picture of Edward, admit that he really became the character (as he does in all his other movies!). I believe that Rob carried this movie like a true leading man. If he choses his next roles wisely and keeps his feet on the ground he will go very far. Even though in interviews he says again and again that he doesn’t know WHY Edward is so popular with all the girls, why he resonates with us so much, he still understands the character. This wonderful soul in all his tortured self, brooding, overanalyzing, self-loathing, yet loyal, loving, respectful, passionate man.   Like Bella says in the movie “Your mood-swings are giving me whiplash”. He pulls that off. With those intense eyes that betray nothing but say everything; with the expressions on his face - sometimes several things can be read on there all at once (Snape who?). The scene in the woods when Bella tells him that she knows he’s a vampire. He asks her if she’s afraid and she says no. For a split second you see the relief on his face, but also the surprise at her answer. Watch him in the garage scene when the focus is on Rosalie and Carlisle, or in the kitchen at the Cullen house, when the focus is on everybody else - even then he is totally in character. How about that silent exchange he has with Carlisle at the sherriff’s office after Waylon is killed. You just KNOW that he is reading Carlisle’s mind. Which is also a tribute to Peter Facinelli, of course. We can see that he knows that Edward knows....  But it is also in the delivery of his lines. Holy crow! Some are so heartbreaking - like when he yells at Carlisle what to do right before he sucks Bella’s blood out. Or how about: “no ... this bus is full!” How about the famous “distract me please” and his laughing at Bella right afterwards. Speaking of the Port Angeles scene. That menacing stare - holy moly - and once more at the end with Jacob (actually in between with Billy Black as well). I’m sorry ... I can’t say enough about him. But you knew that already ... LOL!

Now.... we all know that Edward is not in New Moon for the most part, right? A little concerned about that, because I truly believe (and not just because I love him, Shana!) that Rob carried this movie. He is one of the main reasons why this movie is so good. I’m not sure that it would have worked with anybody else. And I am just not sure that Taylor Lautner can pull that off just yet. Jacob is a huge part of New Moon, but I just don’t think that Taylor has what it takes. He DID convince me of his acting skills, I’ll give him that, but I don’t think he is leading man material yet. I hope that my friend Cynde is right. She thinks that the way that we’ll see Edward throughout the movie is through Bella’s visions. Well ... in the book it’s more auditory and she just tries to imagine Edward’s face. When she does her reckless stunts, because she realizes she can conjure up Edward’s angry, scolding voice in her head. From what we’ve seen with this adaptation, I think that it is a great idea and a good possibility. Hardwicke is smart and I think she realizes how valuable Rob is. Rob himself says he can’t wait to do the end scene where Edward tries to kill himself. Apparently he has some great ideas for that already.

I’ve been wrecking my brain for my favorite scenes. I have to say it is probably the dream sequence after Bella does her vampire research. The scene where Edward bites Bella. That was HOT! The way it was shot, with his hair all in his face and that little bit of blood on his lips and chin and in the costumes. Fabulous! Speaking of dream sequences. I’m glad they went back and shot those extra scenes - the Cullen/Quileute treaty, the transformations of Edward and Esme. Next up - Rob playing the piano. OME - I get chills and goosebumps every time I see this scene. There is just something incredibly sexy about a man just sitting down at a piano and starting to play. And it is even better, because I KNOW that Rob is playing that himself. And you can see that it is not even acted, BECAUSE he knows how to play and he loves music, he can put all those emotions into it. It comes natural. It is just beautifully done. (More on the soundtrack and score later). The baseball game is one of my favorites. They just did a fabulous job with it, portraying the strength, the speed and the playfulness. Love, of course, the Jasper bat-twirling, but also when Edward and Emmett collide. When they fall to the ground and they laugh - it’s great and again, very natural. The ballet studio goes without mention. It really is in a league of its own. What stands out, of course was Alice ripping Jasper’s head off - and Edward “taking a bite out of James”. LOL ... I didn’t even see that the first time. He rips his throat out and spits it out. Nice touch! The reveal scene, not because of the sparkle effect (more on that in just a moment), but because here Edward is vulnerable. We finally understand that he sees himself as this monster and loathes himself and the fact that he has to hide from the sun. Yet he reveals himself to Bella, because he loves her, because he wants her to get scared and run, because he knows it is better for her - yet at the same time he is hurting because of what he is and because he doesn’t want her to leave. He is also shocked that Bella thinks it looks beautiful and at the same time disgusted with himself again. Oh ... and yes .... all that comes across just with mainly the look on his face. At first I wasn’t impressed with the sparkle effect on the whole body shot. I DID like the later one, when it’s just his face. But I think that was the anticipation again. After seeing it again, I like it. It looks like thousands of little prizms that reflect the light - that’s what it was supposed to look like. So ... mission accomplished. Another great job by ILM. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you!” That was the moment when I had to pick Cynde off the floor. Wait ... weren’t they supposed to be there to keep ME from fainting? That to me was almost more powerful than the bedroom scene - although that was steamy. Anybody remember the huge discussion about OOTP and Harry’s first kiss? Sorry, Harry, I love you, but THIS first kiss was little hotter!  Already talked about the Port Angeles scene. And later, meeting Jessica and Angela at the restaurant is great - he’s dazzling them. Charlie with the gun ... oh... and how about the line “I leave you alone for a minute and the wolves descend”? ....  I could come up with much more, but those are my most favorite.

yeah ... as Kirsten knows: "wet Rob = resuscitate Asi!"

I love “inside jokes” and just quirky little touches that are so much fun to discover. There is, of course, Stephenie Meyer’s cameo. When Bella goes into her bedroom for the first time, you can see a wolf picture on the wall. In one of the biology lab scenes, the stuffed owl on the window sill is placed such that it looks as if Edward has little angel wings! When Bella googles Quileute Legends, one of the “hits” is Little Brown, the publisher for the whole Twilight Series. Or how about the apple reference to the first book cover - I loved that. And at prom, we have, of course, Victoria at the very end, but she can already be seen in the crowd twice, on the dancefloor when Bella and Edward first enter. Anybody notice that most of the stuff at the end-credits are already outtakes from the movie? (which I hope will show up in a larger quantity on the DVD)

A quick word about the soundtrack and the score. I think the music works extremely well for this movie. The modern songs (Muse for the baseball scene - doesn’t get much more dynamic than that!), as well as the score. It is sort of mysterious, dark, but also light and airy, yet wet and green ... LOL. It just fits perfectly. I’m a little disappointed that it is not clear that the piece he plays on the piano is in fact Bella’s Lullaby that he composes for her. However, I DO like how they worked the theme into the movie at different times when the two are together. And as I said already I LOVE the fact that Rob is playing it himself. Speaking of which - who noticed that the song in the restaurant in Port Angeles is the one that Rob sings? When you hear it on the CD - I admit - it won’t be everybody’s cup of tea. It is very folksy and definitely an eclectic taste. But it fits perfectly into the movie into that specific scene. Also, the song they used when Edward is sucking out James’ blood and trying to find a way to stop - that’s Rob as well. You can only get this song when you buy the soundtrack through iTunes. Again - as a stand alone probably not loved by all, but it just works perfectly for the music. I don’t know how much influence the director has on the music or if they have a separate person for that. But whoever did it, definitely knows their job darn well also. 

Alright... to sum it all up again in a nutshell. The movie did not disappoint. As far as movies that were made from books - this is a pretty darn good one. I do not mind the changes, I am not missing anything. I am psyched for New Moon, because I know that Summit will invest more money in the sequel. Yet on the other hand, the “indy-feel” worked for the movie. But that’s what Catherine Hardwicke is good at, so I’m not too concerned. I believe that people who have not read the books can enjoy this movie and keep up, even though they may not recognize some of the finer nuances that us bookworms obsess over. As a matter of fact, one of my friends, who hasn’t read the book just went to see it yesterday and said it was really good. She said “when they finally kissed I wanted to yell ‘yes’ and jump out of my seat.” I think that’s a pretty good indicator that it is working. I also think that it will appeal to a broader audience than just the Twilighters. It is, after all, a good love story and it has some pretty good action scenes in it as well.

For New Moon I’ve made a pact with myself that I impose an almost total media restriction on myself! I will try to stay away from any set reports, movie stills, movie clips and such before the movie comes out. Save for some promo pictures, maybe, and the official trailer, which I probably won’t be able to avoid since it’ll be on TV and in theaters. I did the same for OOTP and although it was hard, it was sooooo worth it. I want to be blown away by New Moon - completely unspoiled!

Alright ... I’ll have to stop now. Do you think that’s enough of an intelligent answer to the question of “why I like this movie so much”? (LOL ... inside joke!)

Tomorrow.... more from the fun girlfriend weekend and the second and third viewing!

... just really quick.... more to come later. More cohesive review later. More from our amazing day in Atlanta later.... Just wanted to put this up really quick before we head out to see it again!