sundance and me

when i was young, my room was plastered with torn-out pages of teen beat magazine. i was a member of celebrity fanclubs, and i was certain that one day i was going to marry a movie star. well, although i am older now, i still have a minor obsession with pop-culture. so, when i got the opportunity to go to the sundance film festival for my first time, i felt like a 12-year-old girl.




matt, todd, and i went to a small, private viewing of the movie my idiot brother

i really liked the movie, but i will not recommend it to most of my readers, because it is riddled with swear words and there may or may not have been a naked man on the big screen once or twice. (don't worry mom, it was nothing worse than the play we went to together in nyc.)

paul rudd was so lovable in this movie. well, he's always lovable.

anyway, that was the exciting thing that happened in my life recently. and for the second part of this post i am reposting a list of 30 random facts about myself, that i made on facebook. it's part of a game, i guess, because people tagged me in their notes and then i was supposed to make my own. 2/16 of my family is on facebook, so for the other 14 i am posting this list here.

1: I inherited my mother's tear ducts. I get a giant ball of emotion in my throat, and often shed tears, whenever I see someone I know performing in sports, theatrical experiences, musical events, etc. People think I'm thick-skinned, but really that's just fat.

2: I got most of my physical traits from my dad's side of the family, and although I know I have flaws, in general, I love myself and my body...it is a miracle to me that it all works as well as it does. The design of the human body is so precious. I make fun of myself a lot, but I love myself. It pains me to know some people feel ashamed about their own bodies. I wish I could take their pain away.

3: I love riddles and brain teasers.

4: I have a love/hate relationship with authority figures. If they earn my respect, I will be their biggest advocate, if they DEMAND my respect, I will be their biggest foe.

5: I don't have very many regrets in life, but if I could go back and change one thing, I never would have skipped the 5th grade. However, I believe things happen for a reason, so I try hard to accept my life for what it is.

6: My drink of choice is water, but if I feel like splurging on something "fancy" I love the Hi-C Orange Lava Burst sugar water at McDonald's...or Mtn. Dew, if I need a little more kick.

7: I've lived with more than 50 different people.

8: I love to travel, but I am a horrible tourist. I get so lost in the here & now...I am awful at documenting my travels. I mostly love the sights and smells of local shops, rather than the main tourist attractions. I once spent the day buying socks in London, instead of going with the rest of my group to Stonehenge. I loved every second of it and I still wear the socks.

9: I have a very good relationship with sleep. I fall asleep when I want to, sleep for as long as I want to, but I can't sleep during a movie, on a plane, while watching t.v., etc. When it's time for bed, I GO TO BED.

10: If I'm ever feeling really sad, all I have to do is hold a baby. That is like an instant pick-me-up.

11: I love to make other people laugh, but making myself laugh is just as important to me. I don't think there is anything wrong with finding one's self funny. I do ruin the punchlines of jokes, a lot, though, because I'm laughing too hard to spit it out.

12: I made a goal to enter the 4th of July 5k this year. I haven't done ANYTHING to prepare for that, so I'll probably just walk and then pass out around mile 2, but I'm still going to try.

13: I love people...but only in small groups. Large crowds give me anxiety...especially indoors.

14: I am most afraid of 2 things...sharks and cats. Mostly cats.

15: My favorite part of going home-home is having my mom cook for me. Even when I try to follow her recipes, nothing tastes as good as when she makes it.

16: I could happily live in water. I wish the rec center would have included an indoor pool...I guess I'll have to build my own.

17: I bought Dance Dance Revolution and Just Dance for my Wii, because since I was about 20 years old I've wanted to be able to dance. I have no rhythm or coordination for stuff like that, but I still have fun trying.

18: I hate fancy restaurants or fancy events because I feel like a bull in a china shop. I think eating should be comfortable and fun, I don't want to have to worry about which fork is the "proper" utensil to use.

19: I love getting mail.

20: I try to say and spell peoples names correctly, because it really bothers me when people get mine wrong. A person's first name is the one and only thing that will most likely never be lost or taken away. I don't get why my name is so hard...have you ever heard anyone named Janelle called "JAN-YELL"? Nope. It's Danelle, people. Duh-nel.

21: I have a lot of good ideas, but very little self-discipline, so I very rarely finish anything I start. I am also a procrastinator to the core. I have tried to change this about myself, with very little success, probably because I start too late and then quit before I'm finished with the process.

22: I am very patient when it comes to occurrances or activities, but not patient when it comes to waiting around.

23: I enjoy books and movies that are uplifting or thought-provoking, I don't like scary or violent things. I try to avoid those in real life and in my choices of entertainment.

24: I've never been tempted to smoke or do drugs, but I would be a raging alcoholic if I ever chose to drink. So, I guess I do have SOME self-discipline.

25: I have way too many shoes. Most of which I never wear.

26: I collect piggy banks, squished pennies, and postcards.

27: I love to help people, but I'm not very good at initiating. I want to be better at offering (or just doing) before I'm asked.

28: I wish I was rich, so I could babysit for free. I'm actually pretty good at that, but it feels weird to be paid for doing the job of a 12-year-old, especially because it's something that doesn't feel like work.

29: I have the greatest friends and family in the world.

30: Even though I sometimes NEED quiet, alone time, most of the time when I'm alone, I sing outloud and talk to myself...but I don't think I'm crazy. :/