Holly's Guide to the Movies

Hello, I'm Holly Zintel. You may remember me from such rants as "Love Trent or Get Bent (a Daria/Trent 'Shipper's Thoughts)" and "I Demand Veganaise (A Demand For Veganaise)". I was at Border's the other day to renew my enthusiasm for life (that's where you go to do that... it just is) and I found that I couldn't afford that book I wanted about a hot, British musician boy who's obsessed with this girl who's on drugs (it's called Candy by Kevin Brooks). I was very upset about not being able to afford Candy (don't worry, I have it now), but what could I do? I sat down to drink my mango smoothie with my mum. While I sipped on the delicious nectars of artificial colors and sweeteners that make up the Borders Mango Smoothie, I skimmed through a book called Cinematherapy: The Girl's Guide to Movies For Every Mood by Beverly West and Nancy Peske. I found solace in the book. It told me to rent Edward Scissorhands... and by God, I did. I'd forgotten the movie existed, and had only seen it when I was about 6 years old. When I watched it as a 21-year-old, it seemed even more brilliant. The book also told me to rent Win a Date With Tad Hamilton. The book was right... it was good. But you know what this book made me realize? I could rip off their idea! And now... I will in: Holly's... Guide... to... the... MOVIES!1. Moulin RougePlot: A beautiful hooker named Satine (Nicole Kidman) becomes the object of a really hot writer's (Christian's) affection... also, this hideous, evil rich dude called the Duke likes her. And they're got friends. Lots of them... circus-lookin' folk, even. Christian (Ewan McGregor) writes a musical for Satine and all his friends to be in! But will the evil rich dude ruin the show as well as a beautiful relationship? P.S. Satine's got quite a cough. What's up with that? Holly's Overall Thoughts: This was the best movie of all time. Ewan McGregor, in all his hotness, pulled off the most heart-wrenchingly emotional scene I've ever seen. And oh God, that singing voice! Also, Nicole did very well. And there was glitter and theatre everywhere! Does it get any better than that?! Hot Guy: Ewan McGregor, the epitome of hotness. Great Songs: "Come What May", "Elephant Love Medley", "Your Song", "Roxanne", "The Show Must Go On", etc. Moment You Should Watch For: When Christian goes to Satine to tell her, "I don't want you to sleep with [the duke]." Even though he's proven himself this amazing, talented, romantic hero, he just seems like a lost little boy who doesn't want his mom to leave him at pre-school. She tries to go and he gets all choked up, holding her and crying, "No... no."

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Plot: It's Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe's) third year at Hogwarts, and it's gonna be awesome. Well, you know, except for the guy who betrayed Harry's parents and sent them to their deaths. Yeah, that guy's back in the picture. It'll be fun. Will Harry and Hermione (Emma Watson) hook up in this movie? Probably not, since they didn't in the book, eh? But maybe the next movie! Wait, no... that's based on the book too! But maybe the next... no, wait... Holly's Overall Thoughts: If you don't love this movie, I probably don't love you. It's Harry Potter, for God's sake! And it features Hermione, my favorite character! And Buckbeak is there. Anyway, I think this Harry Potter movie has been the best of the three that have come out so far. It was brilliantly directed, and kept me on the edge of my seat, even though I knew what was coming. Hot Guy: Daniel Radcliffe, A.K.A. Mr. Hot Great Songs: That "Something Wicked This Way Comes" song was pretty catchy. Moment You Should Watch For: Harry holding Hermione in a moment of terror. I know what kind of terror, but I won't tell you, in case you haven't seen the movie yet.

3. Edward ScissorhandsPlot: The friendly neighborhood Avon lady (Diane Wiest) isn't having a lot of luck selling her products this season. But look! In the distance! A creepy castle on a hill, which contains a very hot gothic boy who has scissors for hands (Johnny Depp)! His face is all pale and scarred up from him accidentally scratching his face (it was itchy, dammit), so she can test her products out on him and he can come to live with her and her family! But wait... who's that beautiful girl? Why, the Avon lady's daughter is a lovely teenage girl named Kim (a blonde Winona Rider), with whom Edward falls instantly in love. But Kim is dating a horrible guy named Jim who happens to hate Edward. How will Edward handle this (or anything at all, without scratching it up)? Holly's Overall Thoughts: Ah, my latest obsession. I loved this movie when I was 6, and I love it even more now that I've devloped an unhealthy obsession with Johnny Depp. I love him in this--he's so polite and sweet, and little boyish. What a doll... I want to take him home and put makeup on him. Hot Guy: Johnny Depp--the hottest guy ever to live. Great Songs: The score is by Danny Elfman, the guy who did Spiderman, and the music sounds awesome. Moment You Should Watch For: I'm a sucker for when Kim asks Edward to hold her and he tries really hard before he defeatedly tells her, "I can't."

4. Orange CountyPlot: Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) discoveres a book in the sand in his home town of Orange County, CA that makes him want to be a writer--a writer taught by the book's author, Marcus Skinner, at Stanford University. So he applied... and didn't get in. Now he and his drug-addict brother Lance (Jack Black), eternal optimist girlfriend Ashley (Schuyler Fisk) will do anything to get Shaun into Stanford. Holly's Overall Thoughts: Orange County isn't just a place... it's my whole reason for living. Hee. No, I don't love it that much, that was just a line from the movie. A lot of people hate this movie, but I love it, and think it's one of the most hilarious things ever, especially the old chick who says, "Do you like John Grisham? I sure do!" Hot Guy: Colin Hanks and one of Shaun's surfer dude friends... Colin reminds me of his dad Tom, but hotter. Great Songs: "Shadow Stabbing" by Cake and "California" by Phantom Planet Moment You Should Watch For: After Lance burns down the admissions building and is talking to Ben Stiller about it. "She was all like, 'I hate my job, I'm gonna burn this mother down!' and I said, 'You better not! You better not.'"

5. Benny & JoonPlot: Benny (Aidan Quinn) has no life outside of working on cars and taking care of his "mentally ill" sister (she might be autistic, they never say). After spotting Sam (Johnny Depp) in a tree, Joon wins him in a card game. No, I'm serious. She wins Johnny Depp in a card game. He must be autistic or something too, but he's so eccentric, talented, and charming that Joon falls in love with him, and he falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Benny's still trying to find himself a girlfriend. Will he pull it off? Because, I mean, he doesn't look very good compared to Johnny Depp. Holly's Overall Thoughts: What a sweet, amazing movie this is. I want to know where the hell I can find a card game in which I have a chance of winning autistic Johnny Depp. If you don't like this movie, I will personally stab you in the eye. Hot Guy: Johnny Depp... still the hottest guy ever Great Songs: Sam plays a really cool song with a balloon as his instrument. Moment You Should Watch For: Sam and Joon's big love scene... it's the sweetest thing you'll ever watch. <3, Holly

ENFP Spells Holly

Ew. I don't feel good today. My stomach hurts, I seem to have a bit of a cold and there's a spider on the floor in the kitchen, so I can't get any Pepto Bismol from there. *Cries* Dude, Mike got a job. Yes, my step-dad, Mike. He got a job. A real one! And he actually gets a pay check and such. *Shakes head in wonder* I can't believe it. Mike is now Mr. AT&T, so he goes around to people's houses and tries his darndest to sell them on AT&T. Yesterday was his first day on the job. At one house, an old woman answered her door, informed him that he "Sure looks good," and promptly informed him that she didn't like AT&T, then slammed the door on him. I'd say it's going well. *Nods happily and gives a thumbs up*

I have a class called Career Exploration where we take surveys and basically waste an hour of everyone's day. A couple weeks ago, we took a survey called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The test informed me that I belong to a group of folks called "ENFP", which means that I am "Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceiving." This is what that says about me: "Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency." Then it proceeded to give me a list of jobs that I'd be good at. I like the idea of Playwright or Screenwriter. I could be like Colin Hanks in Orange County. Anyway, so my new major is Creative Writing.



I muchly enjoy Theatre Practice. The other day, I realized that I sound a lot like the Band Camp Girl from American Pie when I talk about it. I'm all, "And this one time, at theatre practice, Kyle was doing his monolouge, and he kept saying, 'No, no, no, DAMMIT!' and it was so funny!" Yeah... I'm a nerd. But then there was this one time, at theatre practice last week, and Zach went with me. I did my monologue for an hour and everyone says I need to act more bitter and angry, so I've been observing divorcees. 'Tis amazing. I went to my cousin Allison's play a couple weeks ago, and their play (Charlotte's Web) makes ours (The Elvis Monologues) look like Cruel Intentions and their look like Sesame Street. So... yeah. I'm sorry, but ours is better. *Sticks tongue out at them*

Mike has recently developed the idea that I'm going to convert from Christianity to Paganism since I'm so into Harry Potter. He heard this dude on the radio say that a girl killed herself because she read Harry Potter, and then she looked up Divination on the web, and apparently, her horoscope or something told her she should kill herself. I couldn't even begin to tell him what was wrong with that. He told my mom, "Wendy, I'm worried that Holly's going to do something like that!" Yeah, thanks for giving me so much credit, Mike. Besides, Harry Potter doesn't promote Divination or anything, it basically makes fun of it! Geez... stupid people. So... *HUGS FOR EVERYONE except for you nutcases who think Harry Potter is evil*

I apologize if I haven't noted you back yet, but I'm still grounded from the computer and it's rather hard to get on here. But I will note you all as soon as possible. Thanks!

--Holly :-D

National Harry Potter Day

My alarm went off at 8:00 A.M. I sleepily punched the snooze button and pulled my blankets closer to myself as I snuggled up to my cats, desperately wishing my dog would stop crying to get out of my room so I could go back to sleep. When Chyna went into her usual early morning barking/whining routine, I realized I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, and went to tear my blanket off of me when I met a pair of brilliant green eyes, which belonged to none other than Mr. Harry Potter, who was printed all over my blanket. And then it hit me like the lightening bolt on Harry's forehead... IT WAS HARRY POTTER DAY!

I had to hurry up and get ready! It was already 8:04, and I had advance Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets tickets for the 11:30 A.M. showing! I hurriedly scarfed down my Multigrain Cheerios, took a shower and brushed my teeth. I let Chyna outside and saw that there was snow on the ground! I love snow, as it's a sure sign that Christmas and my birthday are coming soon! I had snow, Harry Potter tickets and Multigrain Cheerios, and so I knew it was going to be a great day.

Mom and I arrived at the theater an hour and a half early, just to make sure we got good seats. In the lobby, right under the larger than life Harry Potter posters, were two teenage girls all decked out in perfect replicas of Hogwarts (Gryffindor) uniforms. I was like, "DUDE! Where did you find all this stuff?" They informed Mom and I that they had made most of their attire from scratch, and I wished I knew how to do that sort of thing. Mom and I purchased two Harry Potter buckets of popcorn and watched as bunches of Hogwarts students pile in through the entrances. It seemed that everyone was in Gryffindor, and that they all either knew someone who was handy with a needle and thread, or went shopping in the Central Michigan University gift shop (CMU's colors as the same as Gryffindor's). I enviously chatted with these creative Potterheads, thinking how cool Sadora must look in her Slytherin-wear until it was almost time for the show, and the ticket-taking chick let us in.

We got very good seats, and Mom and I sat, listening to the folks around us chatter excitedly about the fact that we would all soon be witnessing the famous Flying Ford Anglia, the Burrow, Dobby, Knockturn Ally, Moaning Myrtle, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Colin Creevy, Aragog and the Basilisk, among other things that we had all only, so far, pictured in our heads. And then came the moment of truth. The previews ended, and we finally got to view the wonders of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Sure, there were things that were inaccurate about the movie... They didn't follow the entire book, and the took a lot of scenes out, but I had expected that. What I hadn't expected was how cool the Chamber of Secrets looked, nor had I expected how sweet and sad it was when Harry brushed his fingers over Hermione's frozen ones as she lay, petrified in the hospital wing and told her he needed her now more than ever. *Tear* I hadn't expected Lockhart, the Cornish Pixies and Moaning Myrtle to look exactly the way I'd pictured them. And did everyone see Harry and Hermione hugging in the Great Hall after she was released from the Hospital Wing? Heh... poor Ron, he only got a handshake.

The movie was, as Paula Abdul would say, two words: "phe" and "nominal". I'll probably have nightmares for the next 50 years after seeing that Aragog scene, but it was definitely worth it! Absolutely awesome, it was. Mom has said she's going to knit me a Gryffindor scarf for Christmas, so I'm rather happy. I must now go to bed, as it's past 3:00 A.M., so I'll leave you with this link to one of the best fan fics I have ever read. Fell So Deep by Fuyimi. Later!

--Holly :-D

Ah Crap, Not Again!

Well, that's just great. I'm grounded from the computer... again! On Wednesday, Dad came home from work and he somehow found out that I lied about re-taking my very first psychology test in September, so now I'm grounded from the computer again until I actually do re-take it. He started yelling at me like he always does, and I cried, and it wasn't pretty. So... I just thought I'd get on here and mention that to you folks while Dad's at work.

I went to see The Santa Clause 2 with Dad the other day, before he went crazy. I didn't think anything could be better than the first Santa Clause, but I was wrong. That movie absolutely rocked, and gets 5,000 stars and 7 thumbs up from me! Aw, there was all this sweet, mushy stuff and an adorable little girl and his little boy Charlie's such a cute little pre-teen now... The movie's just full of "aw"s and that's my favorite type o' movie. Bernard is cool, too. Can't forget that guy, with his gnarley yarn hair. I'm gonna go, see it again on Sunday with Mom and Zach. Ah yes, and while I was at the movies, I got this spiffy Harry Potter bucket! It was full of popcorn when I got it, and now I plan to take it to the beach sometime.

Man, I went to theatre practice the other day, and when I turned the corner into the hallway that leads to my class, it was pitch dark. It was like that nightmare everybody has about walking down the dark corridor, only I decided to not walk down it. I turned around and went down the alternate hallway... only to find that it was dark too! Finally, somebody from class yelled to me, "HOLLLLLLLLLLLLLY!" and I was like, "WHAAAAAAAAAT?" and they were like, "THE LIGHTS AREN'T WORKING!" and I was like, "NOOOOO CRAAAAP!" So I felt my way to the auditorium and we had theatre. Pat, our "tech man" tried to fix the lights, but he ran outta batteries in his flashlight, so I lent him my Gameboy batteries, and then there was light. During Nick's monolouge, we found that his friend had killed himself a couple weeks ago, when Nick began sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of his monolouge. It was really sad. Luckily, Leah did her monolouge right after that, and her monolouge gets the Hollarious Stamp of Approval. Heheh... she has man-slaves.

By the way, my diary's niftified now. Yup, Z-Bear helped me make it pretty yesterday. I made the collage. *Goofy, proud smile* That's Ron, Hermione and Harry; a family pic of Mom, Dad, Zach and I when I was about 3; Daria and Jane; Zach, Sarah and I; Rafe and Alison and... I think there's a pic of me now too.

--Holly :-D

Halloweenized

Hello, everyone! As you can see, Zach has helped me to Halloween my diary. *Hands him a pack of "fun-sized" Skittles from Halloween candy stash* Dad, Zach and I went to see The Tuxedo with Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt today. I heart that movie. Tis rockin'. And my dad decided today that I'm no longer grounded from the computer! WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO! In honor of this awesome occasion, I have decided to fill out this Halloween survey that I filled out last year, once again. Happy "Holly"ween!

Section 1 - Obligatory Questions:


Name: Holly the Rachael Zintel

Age: 18

Location: Flint, MI.

Section 2 - This is my costume. Give me the damn candy!

What was your first Halloween costume? I was a Carebear. I couldn't eat any candy due to my lack of teeth, but it was still jolly good fun.

What was your costume last year? I was a costumeless dork last year.

What will your costume be this year? I shall be a Chinese person, for I have a cool Chinese novelty hat, and not enough time to put a good Hogwarts student costume together.

Has there ever been a reoccurring theme with your costumes? For three years in a row, I went as various characters from Daria--Daria, Jane and Andrea.

Through the years, what have your costumes been? A Carebear, a clown, Smurfette, Peter Pan, Ariel the Little Mermaid, a butterfly, Paula Abdul, a ballerina dinosaur, Miss America, a silly-looking witch, Todd from One Life to Live, a yin-yang... thing, some sort of freak made up of Smiley faces, an Egyptian chick, Daria Morgendorffer, a vampire version of Jane from Daria, my Grandma Z. and Andrea from Daria.

What was your favorite costume? Miss America. I was 7, and I loved the Miss America pageants. I felt all special, getting all dressed up in a glamorous-looking nightgown, heels and a cool, glittery sash.

What is your dream costume? A Hogwarts student. I'd be in Gryffindor.

Which do you prefer, store bought or home made costumes? Homemade. I've never had a store-bought costume in my life because I think they're uncreative.

Masks or make up? Make-up! Where's the fun in putting on a frickin' mask?

Have you ever dyed, cut or did anything else to your hair for a costume? My mom dyed my hair red when I was Ariel in kindergarten, and my dad dyed it black when I was Jane the vampire, but the dye got on my neck, and wouldn't wash off for weeks! Ah yes, and when I was Daria, I had my mom cut my bangs. I shouldn't have done that. It was not a pretty sight.

What is the longest time you ever spent working on a costume? I think it was when I was Todd from OLTL.

The shortest? The Egyptian one didn't take too long, because I just wore one of my dance recital costumes, and painted eye-makeup on.

What was the most expensive costume you wore? Grandma Z., I think.

The least expensive? Probably Smurfette.

Section 3 - Trick or Treat, smell my feet, gimme something good to eat.

What kind of bag or pail did you collect candy in? A pillowcase.

Did you ever get so much candy it spilled over the top? I don't believe so. I usually got too tired to stay out very long.

Broke the bag/pail? Nope.

Did you just Trick or Treat up your street or your street and everyone else's? Usually my whole neighborhood, but for the last few years, it was my aunt Barb's neighborhood, and once, my grandma Shoup's.

Candy that you hated to get? Rock candy. I felt like Charlie Brown.

Do you think Trick or Treating should only be done at night? Yes, but safely and responsibly. This 4 in the afternoon crap is getting ridiculous.

What is the perfect weather for Trick or Treating? Nice and warm so you don't have to put a coat or hat on and mess up your costume or makeup.

Section 4 - It's alive! ALIVE!!!

What is your favorite monster? The Cookie Monster.

Why do you like this monster so much? He bears cookies. What's not to like?

If you had the chance to be this monster for one day, what would you do? Eat a lot of cookies.

If you could be anywhere in the world on Halloween, where would you want to be? Home.

What is your favorite Halloweenish song? "Nature Trail to Hell" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It's playing on my front page.

What is your favorite horror movie? Ernest Scared Stupid.

What is your favorite horror novel? In a Dark, Dark Room.

Have you ever been to a theme parks Halloween celebration (i.e. HallowScream, Halloween Horror Nights, ect.)? No. That'd probably be cool, though.

Is Freddy really dead? The guy on Scooby Doo? No, I just saw him yesterday.

What about Bela Lugosi? I... figure as much. (I have no idea who that is.)

Have you ever been to a real haunted house? I hope not.

Did anything spooky happen? Um... yeah.

Is 13 an unlucky number to you? Not particularly.

Oh man... I just went to Hollywood.com and it seems that Richard Harris, a.k.a. Professor Dumbledore, died! That's pretty dang upsetting. I don't want to sound like a jerk saying this, but... I wonder who will play him now?

--Holly :-0

In 25 Days, the Chamber of Secrets Will Be Opened

*Hyperventilates* 25 days! I wonder if I should leave for the theater now so I can get a good parking spot. I'll need to buy my popcorn at least 5 hours prior to the first showing of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets... I might have to knock a few 8-year-olds out of the way to make sure I get a good seat, too. When I went to see Abandon the other day (it sucked quite badly, by the way), I noticed that they have these huuuuuge Harry Potter posters hanging up in the lobby! The movie theater doesn't know it yet, but those posters will be mine. Oh yes. They will be mine.

I know it's hard to believe, but I actually have bigger things going on in my life than my plot to steal the Harry Potter movie posters from Showcase West. *Hears everyone gasp* My step dad has no job and my mom only makes enough money to pay for groceries, gas and other necessities. Well, the guy they're buying the house from decided that if Mike doesn't pay the 3 bills that are due, he's getting a friendly little eviction notice. This is not really a problem for me or my mom, as I primarily live with my dad anyway, and Mom is welcome to move back in with my grandparents any time she wants.

However, this is quite a major problem for Mike and Carrie. The other night, while I was at Mom's house, Carrie came home and announced that she would like to move in with her mom. Now, the reason Mike and his ex-wife got divorced was that Alice (Carrie and Bill's mom) smoked pot. Carrie insists that she doesn't do that anymore, and wants to move in with her mom so she doesn't have to worry about being evicted. Mike thinks he can forbid her to do that. He was screaming at Carrie all... night... long.

Mom and I both agreed that Carrie was in the right. If she wants to move in with her mom, she can. She's 18! Plus, who can blame her for wanting to live without the worry of being evicted? Mike was pretty dang upset that neither Mom nor I told Carrie she shouldn't move in with her mom, so then he started screaming at us. When he began yelling at Mom, I freaked out and started yelling at him, defending my mom. When he got mad that I was mad, that's when Mom told him, "Mike, if you don't have the money to pay the bills in 15 days, I'm leaving and going to my parents' house. I don't care where you go." I think he may finally be worried that it's very possible that he could lose my mom, the best thing to ever happen to him.

During all of the arguing and yelling, Carrie started crying hysterically, and ended up getting so sick that she ran to the bathroom and puked for like, 15 minutes. And get this: Mike never apologized to her. I think the main thing that got her so upset was when Mike told her she'd never amount to anything if she moved in with her mom. He was being such an A-hole, and he doesn't think he did anything wrong.

Welllllll... I'm going to enjoy the rest of my computer time while I can. *Hugs and handshakes for all*

--Holly Rachael :-D

The Hot Chocolate Theory

It is my belief that hot chocolate heals all wounds... well, you know, except for those external wounds. If you have those, I would advise you to get some Harry Potter band-aids and Neosporin immediately. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, Chris Rock's dad might think that Robitussen is the only medicine to use, but I think hot chocolate is.

My Hot Chocolate Theory started way back in the year of 19 and 99. My brother, Zach, and my best friend, Sarah, had started dating at the beginning of that year. Now, these two crazy kids didn't seem to go together at all. They were like vinegar and water, fire and ice, Ron and Hermione. They would make out, fight, make out, fight, day in and day out. And every weekend, my mom, Zach's best friend, Bobby and I would all have to put up with Sarah and Zach's fighting.

Well, one day, I just got tired of it. I wasn't sure I liked Zach and Sarah's makeout sessions any better than their fighting, but I was going to put a stop to one of 'em! Since I didn't know how to stop the makeout sessions, I decided to work on stopping the fighting. In the midst of one of Zach and Sarah's fights, I asked them both to come out to the living room, and I made them each a mug of hot chocolate. Once they were both well into their hot chocolate, I acted as Relationship Counceler, talking out their problems with them. This always seemed to help, right up until the day that Sarah and Zach broke up for good last year.

I'd forgotten about The Hot Chocolate Theory until last night, when I had a terrible migrain. I was watching Grumpier Old Men on TV with my dad. It was very cold in the family room, and the afghan my grandma made for the baby version of myself, wasn't helping much. After taking a Zomig (a migrain pill), I made myself some hot chocolate to help the fact that it was frickin' freezing in here, Mr. Biggelsworth. My dad went to bed, Zach went to work, and My Girl 2 magically appeared on the TV. The first mug of hot chocolate had really helped, so I made another one. The combined effect of the hot chocolate and the awesomely sentimental movie gave me feel very warm and at peace with the world. So, I'm glad I remembered The Hot Chocolate Theory. Everyone must try this, it works wonders.

Say, you know what? To completely change the subject, I just realized something. I'm totally paranoid! As some of you may know, I am grounded from the computer for the month of October, yet here I am, typing away while my dad's at work. Well, I keep hearing car doors, and every time I do, I peer anxiously out the window, afraid that it's my dad. He doesn't even get home until 5:00 or later, but I keep thinking, What if he came home early in some sadistic plot to catch me on the computer? He knows! Dear God, he KNOWS! Okay, folks. I have officially flipped out. I'd better go before I make everyone else paranoid. So... ta!

--Paranoid Android,
Holly Rachael

A Walk to Remember and a Drive to Forget

Last week was quite the eventful one, yet I didn't get to write about it due to the ever-so "convenient" fact that my dad grounded me from the computer. *Shakes fist at him* Oh well, I shall write now, while Father Dearest is at work. *Cackles evilly*

Wednesday, of course, was good ol' theatre practice. It wasn't nearly as much fun as it usually is because it was Role-Assigning For the Elvis Monolouges Day. So there was no pantomiming or improv. That was okay, though, because now I know who I'm playing!

I play this disgruntled, sarcastic 58-year-old woman named Tiny Pickins. Laurie told us we could edit our scripts if we wanted to. My character tends to talk like a drunken sailor, and my mom doesn't approve of swearing... and neither do my grandparents, cousins, aunt, uncle or even me, come to think of it. So Zach said, "When the script says 'sh*t', you could put in a funny word." I agreed to this lovely idea, and my script is now full of words such as "bullplop". Heheh... bullplop.

Thursday morning, I was ridiculously tired, and the last thing I felt like doing was going to school. But am I ever glad I did. *Grins* I was wearing my shirt that says, "Think you can be a meat-eating environmentalist? Think again. Give a damn-- go vegetarian!" I was sitting in intro to theatre, waiting for Mr. "Always 20-Minutes Late" Chapel, when I felt someone's presence in front of my desk. I looked up from my Gameboy and was suddenly face-to-face with none other than... *echo effect* .:::THE HOT VEGAN DUDE:::. He said, "So you're a hardcore animal rights supporter then?" When I said "Yeah," he gave me a high five, said, "You're awesome" and went back to his seat. *Is ecstatic*

When the class ended, I began my walk to the Prahl Center, and was super-happy to see the Hot Vegan Dude walking in front of me... but I was much less happy to see that he was walking with the attractive blonde chick that Mr. Chapel seems to have a crush on. By some miracle, though, the Hot Vegan Dude glanced at me, said goodbye to the attractive blonde chick, and began walking with... *gasp* me. He said, "Hello, there! I wanted to get your name." Once I told him, he introduced himself as Dave and shook my hand. As we ventured toward the Prahl Center, we talked about animal rights and what made us decide to go vegetarian. We stood and talked until he had to get to class, and in the ten minutes that I talked to him, I've come to this decision: Dave is perfect.

Friday was much less fun, but it was definitely eventful as all get-out. My mom came home from work that morning to see cop cars surrounding my step brother's truck. Apparently, Thursday night, Bill (my step brother) and his friend got absurdely drunk, then Bill drove the both of them straight into the strip club Deja Vu. Yes, into the side of the building. After using their fake I.D.s to get into the Deja Vu, Bill and his friend got back into the truck, and then Bill drove the truck straight into the side of the gas station. He did serious damage to both the Deja Vu and the gas station. Then the cops caught Bill and his friend, and thew 'em in jail.

Bill had to spend a little over 24-hours in jail due to the fact that he was legally drunk all that time. Since he was driving drunk at the age of 19, did serious damage to two buildings, used a fake I.D. to get into a strip club & was driving without a license (he had it revoked 4 months ago), he's in deep trouble. He'll have his arraignment soon, and then we'll see how long he's going to be in jail.

Whew! I think that's all that's happened. So... later!

--Holly Rachael :-D

*Shrieks and Falls Out of Chair*

Don't worry, that was a shriek of excitement, not one of terror! I just found this awesome person's diary; her name is Gryffindor Weasel. She said in her latest entry that there's a new Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets trailer! I went and checked it out, and I am so excited! Here's the link to where you can see the trailor.

HP & the COS trailer

In the trailer, they show Mandrakes; Harry, Hermione and Ron drinking the Polyjuice Potion; Errol delivering Mrs. Weasley's Howler to Ron; the Howler yelling at Ron; Harry and Ron as Crabbe and Goyle; Professor Lockhart with the Cornish Pixies... it's so great! Oh, and Hermione's hair looks all curly and pretty! I know her hair's not really supposed to look awesome until Goblet of Fire, but I'm still proud of her. Her hair is lurvely! And Harry is so cute! Daniel Radcliff is going to grow into a hottie. At the risk of sounding like Professor Trelawny, I have to say that I see it in his future. *Nods psychicly* And, of course, I see Hermione as Harry's future girlfriend as well. It shall be, I tell you! Those two fictional characters are soulmates!

I'm afraid that when Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets comes to the theater, I'm going to be shooshing everyone who dares speak during the movie. I just may buy some Skittles to throw at people if they make a peep. Or I could just put a silencing charm on the theater. Yes, that's what I'll do.

So... on an unrelated note, I went to the Olive Garden for Grandma Shoup's birthday tonight. Woo hoo! I hadn't been there in such a long time, I'd been going through some serious Olive Garden withdrawal. That's our favorite restaurant, my mom's and mine. I can't be away from that angel hair with marinara for long. Dude, but you know what's just wrong? My grandparents paid for everyone's dinner! It was Grandma's birthday and she paid! And look at how many people's meals she paid for: Zach, me, Mom, Mike, Carrie, Lawren, Uncle Tim, Grandpa and Aunt Patricia. My grandma is the sweetest person in the world.

After the Olive Garden, we all went to my mom's house for cake. My mom is the world's best cake decorator, and she made a cake that looks exactly like Grandma! Mom and Grandma rock.

So... yeah, that's all I have to say for now. Later, everybody!


*No hugs, no kisses, just handshakes*
--Holly Rachael :-D

My, Where Did You Get That Lovely Spatula?

*Sings* "Spatula City, we sell spatulas... and that's all!"--UHF. If you haven't seen UHF, the first and last movie "Weird Al" Yankovic starred in, you need to see it now! See it. *Threateningly shakes fist* Seeeee it!

You know what a really fun class is? Intro to Psychology. And I'm not just saying that because it's a distance learning class that I'm taking online! I read like, 4 chapters of the textbook for it yesterday, and I was only supposed to read 1. Fascinating, deep, awesome stuff, that psychology is.

And now, I'm going to do something that's supposed to be healthy for people, according to my psychology book--a survey!
________________________________________________________
Stolen From: Adidasangel812

Last

movie you rented = Angels II. People told their stories of how their lives were saved by angels. The scenes were all reenacted and it was really cool. Gave me the chills, it did.

song you've listened to = "Softly and Tenderly" by Amy Grant.

song that was stuck in your head- Same as above.

cd you bought = Avril Lavigne--Let Go.

cd you've listened to = Amy Grant--Legacy Hymns and Faith

person you've called = Mom.

person who's called you = I think that was Mom too, heh.

Do

you have bf or gf = Nope.

you wish you could live some where else = Not really, no. For the most part, I really like Flint. I like Vegas too, but I think I'm most comfortable right here.

you think about suicide = No, I rather enjoy living.

you believe in online dating = Absolutely! That's how my mom met Mike, and I've heard a lot of cool stories about people meeting on the internet, then meeting in real life and then getting married and stuff. But when you meet a person from online, you should always have someone you know in real life with you.

other's you find attractive = Um... I think this question is supposed to be worded differently. But some people do and some people don't.

you want more piercings = Nah, I'm set, thanks.

you want more tattoos = I have no tattoos, and I have no desire to get one. Pain is not something I enjoy.

you drink = No.

you do drugs = Nope.

you like cleaning = Sometimes.

you like roller coasters = I like roller coasters if they don't have a lot of big drops.

you write in cursive or print = Depends on what font I'm using. *Smirks* I prefer to type, of course, but I print if I must write longhand.

you carry a donor card = No, but I plan to get one soon.

For or Against

long distance relationships = *Shrugs* Sure.

using someone = *Raises eyebrows* What do you take me for? Against, o' course.

suicide = Against.

killing people = Pfft! Come on, what kind of jerk wrote this survey? I mean, really, who's gonna say, "Oh yeah, I'm all for killing people!" Psycho.

teenage smoking = Against smoking for all ages.

doing drugs = Against.

premartial sex = Actually, I have two answers for this. Personally, I promised myself when I was 8 years old that I would not have premarital sex, and I'm keeping my promise. But if two people are in love, and they can see themselves being married to each other, I think it's fine.

driving drunk = Against! What kind of weirdo wrote this survey...?

gay/lez relationships = *Shrugs* Sure, it makes some folks happy.

soap operas = For! I was named after a soap opera character, I've loved watching soaps my entire life, and I wish to someday be on a soap opera, preferable my favorite, Port Charles.

Favorite

food = Stuffed pumpkin shells.

song = "Naked"--Avril Lavigne and "Save Yourself"--Sensefield.

thing to do = Read Harry Potter books, read and write Harry Potter fan fic, buy Harry Potter merchandise, decorate my room with lurvely Harry Potter fan art, and talk about Harry Potter.

things to talk about = As I said before, Harry Potter. But I also like talking about Daria, animal rights, nifty music, movies, cartoons and soaps.

sports = Quidditch and air hockey.

drinks = Iced tea and smoothies.

clothes = The kind that advertise stuff I like such as Mr. Bean or Amy Grant.

movies = Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Newsies, Orange County, Anastasia, Frequency, Spiderman, The Little Mermaid, Beaty & the Beast, Aladdin, Tarzan, Sleeping Beauty, Heartbreakers, Legally Blonde, UHF, The Family Man, Shrek, Xanadu, Moulin Rouge, Kate & Leopold, Where the Heart Is, Office Space, Dirty Work, Save the Last Dance, Rat Race, Serrendipity, Wayne's World 1 & 2, Titanic, Pearl Harbor, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure & Bogus Journey... I've gotta stop here or I'll go on forever.

band(s) = Lifehouse, Plus One, BB Mak... this could go on forever too!

holiday = Christmas.

Okay, later!

--Holly Rachael :-D

This Lettuce is ROTTON!

Heh. That commercial's funny. Well, guess what I did last night? I was getting in the shower, but on the way in, I banged my toe really hard on the side of the tub. I refrained from shouting numerous obscenities, but just barely. I went ahead and took my shower, depite the fact that my toe felt like it was on fire. When I got out of the shower, and was putting on my PJs, I noticed that my toenail had a crack right through the middle of it, and that my whole toe was bleeding quite badly.

Once I had my PJs on, I went to the family room to tell my dad about my toe. The toenail was still hanging on the skin by like | | this much. It really hurt, and Dad said it would feel better if we got the pressure of the remaining nail off of my toe. He suggested heating up a paper clip with a lighter, then drilling through the toenail. Being the undeniable wuss that I am, I called my mom and grandma to see if they had any other solutions that didn't sound quite so painful. They didn't.

After racking my brain for a less painful idea, I finally let my dad try his hot paperclip trick. He heated the paperclip with a lighter for like, 2 minutes. I was like, "Whoa, that looks like it could really burn me if it touched my skin," but my dad said he would make sure it didn't touch my skin, and promised that it wouldn't hurt at all.

He was wrong. He pushed the paperclip against my nail for what seemed like forever, with me wincing for all I was worth, then I made him stop. All he'd managed to do was burn a tiny hole in my toenail, and now it hurt even more than it had in the beginning. So, I popped Orange County (my 5th favorite movie) in the DVD player, and tried to get my mind off of my toenail. It worked for a while, but by the time Jack Black had said, "She was like, 'I hate my job, I'm gonna burn this mother down!'", I was in way too much pain. I had my dad get me the nail clippers, and I went through a very slow, agonizing ordeal as I ever-so-carefully cut the remainder of my nail off.

Ouch. Oh yes, and today, Dad and I went to see this movie called The Good Girl with Jennifer Aniston. It sucked, don't go to see it! It was about as bad as the frickin' Talented Mr. Ripley! And that's very bad. *Hugs all around*

--Holly Rachael :-D

He's Okay, He Landed on the Paint Can!

Wellll, wasn't today just a little bundle of excitement. This afternoon, my dad announced that he was going outside to paint the trim on the house, like he's been doing every day for the past 3 weeks. So, I was in my room, making my bed when all of a sudden, I hear "THUD, CRACK!" followed quickly by "Owwwww!"

Of course, I figured the Friendly Neighborhood Stalker had fallen out of the tree in the front yard, and landed on his binoculers. You can imagine my surprise when my brother and I rushed out of the house to find my dad, the ladder, a lot of paint, and a crushed paint can, on the ground, but no stalker in sight.

Apparently, Dad had been on the ladder, painting the house when the ladder decided to collapse. Flailing his arms (and knocking the paint can to the ground), he fell onto the paint can and crushed it. And just his luck, he happened to fall right where he'd gotten surgery on his back in '99. It's been sore ever since 1999, but now it's really sore. Plus, he got the wind knocked out of him when he fell. On top of all that, when I ran out to help Dad, I accidentally stepped in a lot of paint, and ruined my favorite flip-flops. *Tear*

For some "manly" reason, my dad didn't want to go to emergency, the doctor's office, or any place else where he could get the medical attention he probably badly needed. So, what'd we do instead of taking Dad to emergency? That's right! We went to the movies and saw Men in Black II.

Last night, Dad and I went to the drive-in to see Spider-man on the big-screen one more time, along with Stuart Little 2. Awwww, that little mouse is so cute! Oh, and the bird who stole stuff? She was such an adorable little clepto, wasn't she? Aw. We wanted to take Zach along, but he said he was tired and stayed home, so we ate the Reeses Pieces we'd bought for him, and today I feel sick, and am no longer fond of candy.

Well, I'm gonna go, play on that faulty ladder! Ta!

--Holly Rachael :-D

Scott Evil's Goin' Bald! AAAH!

Time: 7:41 P.M.
I'm Wearing: "Weird Al" shirt, blue shorts and flip flops.
My Hair Is: Up in a high ponytail
I Last Ate: Skittles @ the movie theatre
Holly's Song Pick of the Day: The background music on Mario
________________________________________________________

I went to see Austin Powers 3 with my dad and Zach today after eating at the lovely Pizza Hut Lunch Buffet. I heart those breadsticks, I tell ya...

Well, I'd have to say the movie was good and funny, but not nearly as good and funny as the second one was. And of course, the first movie was good and funny too, but not still quite as good and funny as the second one. So anyhoo, Mini-Me was so cute at the beginning when he was hanging off of Dr. Evil like a baby! And although I love Britney, I found it quite hilarious that she turned out to be a fem-bot. Yup... Oh, but poor Scott! He's so bald and evil now! *Cries* Oh, and dude! The best part of the movie for me was before the movie even began! You know how at the theatre they show all those trivia questions about celebrities and crap? Well, in the middle of that, they showed a picture of Daria, and it was an ad for her show on Noggin! *Shrieks* Daria was on the big screen! That's been my dream since the summer of 7th grade! AWESOME!

Oh man, I read this craaaaazy-arsed Harry Potter fan fic last night over at fanfiction.net called "Midnight Syndrome". Man, all the dudes in the castle kept getting sick, and it always seemed to happen right between nightfall and dusk so everybody started calling it the Midnight Syndrome. Dude, but then it turns out that Hermione and this chick, Logan, who turns out to be her evil sister, are succubi! Ron was like, "What the hell is a succubus?" which is what I'd been wondering. And it turned out that a succubus is this female demon thing that rapes guys! And Hermione said that an incubus is a male demon that rapes chicks! So I guess no girls'd better go to any Incubus concerts.

Alright, welp, I'm gonna try to find some less insane HP fan fic. Later!

--Holly Rachael :-D

Having Dinner With People I Don't Know

It's no fun.

Orange County & Fan Fiction

Time: 1:25 A.M.
I'm Wearing: "United We Stand" shirt, red and blue shorts, black flip-flops.
My Hair Is: Down and straight.
I Last Ate: Chips.
Holly's Song Pick of the Day: "Short Skirt, Long Jacket"--Cake
________________________________________________________

Oh man, my dad and I rented Orange County tonight, and it was so good! I was actually expecting it to suck, so I was pleasantly surprised! When it was over, I turned to Dad and said, "Wow. I thought that was really good!" to which he replied, "Oh. I thought that was really mediocre!" But really, it was spiffy as all get-out.

So then my dad went to bed, and I got struck by The Lightening Bolt of Inspiration. I immediately fired up the computer, opened up Word, and typed like there was no tomorrow. That's right, now there are two more chapters in my Harry Potter fan fic, "Harry Potter--The Bachelor." *Shrieks like she's at an 'N Sync concert* I'm so thrilled that my inspiration crushed and destroyed my temporary writer's block!

Well, I'm just bubbling over with anticipation, not knowing what people will think of my fic. So I thought I just might post an excerpt from "Harry Potter--The Bachelor" right here on FOD! Please tell me what you think! Here a scene from it:
________________________________________________________
Harry felt his stomach drop. Twenty-five beautiful girls were walking toward him, all dressed in glamorous dresses and beaming at him. Cho caught his eye immediately, and he couldn’t help but gawk at her in amazement.
She wore a dazzling red, strapless gown, and her hair was done up in a stylish twist. That twist kind of reminded him of Hermione’s hair at the Yule Ball last year. He laughed, remembering how that twist had fallen to pieces when she fought with Ron that night, and his nerves lessened considerably. That’s what I’ll do, he thought. When I get too nervous during this, I’ll just think of my friends. Then he turned his attention to Bagman.
“Hello, I’m Ludo Bagman, and I’ll be your host. I’m here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where we’ll be broadcasting from all month long! Now, let’s meet our bachelor… Harrrrry ‘The Boy Who Lived’ Potter!” The Memory Capturer turned toward Harry.
“Harry is a fifteen-year-old guy in need of a prom date! He stands at five-foot-four, has black hair and green eyes. Harry spends his free time playing for the Gryffindor House Quidditch team where he’s a Seeker. Now, let’s meet the witches!”
The girls began to walk toward Harry. They all paused to smile and pose for the camera, and then proceeded to shake Harry’s hand and introduce themselves. First up was Cho. “Hey Harry, I’m Cho.”
He smiled back. “I know. You look—”
But he never got to finish his sentence; more girls were already lined up to meet him. “Hey, I’m Jen.”
“I’m Kelly.”
“I’m Brayden.”
Harry couldn’t catch half of their names, let alone take a good look at them, they were moving so fast. At long last, Bagman said, “And those are the witches! Join us after these messages for more of The Bachelor! …And we’re clear! Good job, Harry, bravo. C’mon, grab some floo powder, we’re headed to Hogsmeade!”
“What?” Harry said, caught way off guard. “Tonight?!”
“Well yeah,” Bagman said in a matter-of-fact way. “Come on, the girls are already there!” ________________________________________________________

Well, what do you think? Is this pure crap, or is it okay? I'd really appreciate it if ya'd drop me a note and tell me. Thanks! Ah, it's storming outside! *Hides under desk*.

--Holly Rachael :-D

Mr. Deeds, Fireworks and Theresa

Time: 1:54 A.M.
I'm Wearing: Blue "United We Stand" shirt, patriotic shorts, and patriotic sandals
My Hair Is: In French braids with ribbons
I Last Ate: A veggie dog w/ mustard and chips
Holly's Song Pick of the Day: "I Wanna Be With You"--Mandy Moore
________________________________________________________

Today was Carrie's birthday, yet we had the cake and ice cream celebrating Carrie's birthday yesterday. It was pretty cool. My mom has this Barbie-shaped cake pan, and she made the cake up to look like Carrie in her Grand Blanc cheerleader uniform. It was packed as heck in my mom's house, though, so halfway through the party, Zach and I left to pick up Bobby.

After stalling for time with Bobby at Office Depot, he, Zach and I returned to Mom's house with the movie we rented, Shallow Hal. I've gotta say, that movie was hilarious and touching at the same time. Awwww.

Today I went to see Mr. Deeds with Dad and Zach. That movie was also hilarious and touching all at once. Again, awwwwwww. Then we went to pick up my dad's chick, Theresa, whom Zach and I had never met before.

Theresa was pretty cool, but she laughed waaaay too much, which was probably due to her nervousness about hanging out with us. And she wore waaaaaay too much perfume, which kind of made it hard to breathe in the car until Dad opened the sunroof. She was really nice, though, and I knew she would be, because she's a social worker. That woman puts up with a lot of crap, so perhaps she can even put up with my dad. Heheh... We all went to fireworks in Clio together. They were pretty dern good fireworks, but I've seen better. *Thought bubble as Holly remembers Disney World*. Ahhh... Epcot fireworks...

*Snaps out of it* Man, I gotta tell ya, my indoor cat, Daria, ran out of the house yesterday, and that was not a fun ordeal. The last time she got out and I chased her, I broke my left ankle in 2 places and sprained the other, so this time, I didn't want to go running after her in the dark. After like, half an hour of playing hide and seek with the cat, Mom caught her and brought her in. My other cat, Amy, had such a superior look on her face, it made everyone giggle. Yes, I said "giggle".

Duuuuuuude, the Avril Lavigne CD is the best CD since Lifehouse--No Name Face. *Contented sigh*. Ohhh, Lifehouse... So anyway, I was sort of bothered by the fact that Theresa shares my dad's love of *shudders* oldies. This was the first 4th of July in 3 years that I haven't gotten to listen to Mandy Moore in the car on the way back from fireworks. *Sob*. Ah well. Next year! Happy 4th, and God bless the U.S.A.! *Salutes*

--Holly Rachael :-D

Inspiration Hits... *Ow*!

*Rubs head* That lousy inspiration hit me right over the head! Did you see that? Good Lord...

Anyway, I was watching The Newsies extras on my DVD, and they have this thing on there about the history involved in the movie, and how they thought up the songs and the storyline. It's really fascinating, and it makes me want write.

I really like learning about where things come from, and I love music and stories, so why not combine all three? I'm going to surf the web to see if I can find an old, true story that sparks my interest. Then I want to write a musical about it.

I know musicals aren't very popular these days (with the exception of the awesome Moulin Rouge), but I love them. Even though my singing voice is far from Mariah Carey's, I also want to try out for some musicals in my town. I really want to join the Flint Community Players, and I think I will. Even if you don't get a part in the Community Players, they can put you to work making scenery and stuff. So... yeah.

For now, though, I'm headed over to google.com to check out some cool historic tales. Later!

--Holly Rachael :-D

Extra, Extra! Holly Does Newsies Soivey!

Heeeeey, everybody! I've finally stolen the lovely Newsies survey that Mondie made up! So, here goes...

Stolen From: Quidditch Chaser

1. Who is your favorite newsie, and why? Jack! What a hottie! Need I say more? Actually, yeah, I do need to say more. He's such the man, how he saved his friends (and goil, heheh) from those creeps, knowing what the concequences were.

2. Who are your next 5 faves (no explanation necessary):
#2: Spot
#3: David
#4: Crutchy
#5: Les
#6: Racetrack

3. What’s your favorite song that the newsies sing? Does "Santa Fe" count? I mean, I know it's just Jack, but... well, I've got a thing for Jack. And that song made me cry in journalism class!

4. Second favorite song? "The World Will Know." Rockin'. Simply rockin', I tells ya!

5. What’s your favorite quote in the ENTIRE movie? "I don't want nobody carryin' me, ya hear?"--Crutchy. What a brave little dude. Don't'cha just want to give him a big hug, and perhaps an extra crutch?

6. What’s your favorite quote by your favorite newsie? "You shouldn't call people lously little shrimps, Oscar, unless you're refering to the family resemblance in your brudda here."--Jack. Heheh... Awesome.

7. How many times have you watched Newsies? Probably about five times.

8. Can you name the characteristics of most of the characters? Um... sure I can! I just... don't... feel like it... right now. *Backs away slowly*.

9. What would your newsie name be? Probably "O.C.D." or something along the lines of "obsessive".

10. What’s your favorite dance number in the movie? Oh, geez... I think I agree with Mondie, "Carryin' the Banner." But they're all really good!

11. What character annoys you the most? That freaking Weasle guy! Gargh! There were various times when I felt like scratching his eyes out.

12. What’s your favorite blooper/observation from the movie? Oh, man... we had to write down all kind of bloopers when we took notes on the movie in 9th grade journalism, but I don't remember any of them!

13. Do you have a newsies site? If so, what is the URL? No, but they'll go on my site! It's still being built.

14. If you were a newsie, what part of the city would you be from? Heh, I don't know... Wherever's least dangerous.

15. Would you have joined in the strike? Absolutely! I'm all about standing up for what I believe in, and I totally agreed with the newsies, so yeah! Definitely!

16. All the newsies are in a building that catches on fire. Who would you save? Les, the little cutie. But then I'd scream, "Jack's up there! He's already hot enough without having to burn in a fire!"

17. Have you ever sang Newsies songs in public? Nope, I don't believe I have. Don't worry, I will...

18. Are all your friends hooked on Newsies, too? No. Sarah liked it okay, but she didn't get hooked like I did. And Zach hated it for some reason. *Milhouse voice* My mom likes it though!

19. Which newsie is most like you? Jack. All my life, my parents taught me to be a leader, and stand up for what I believe in, and I like to get loud and angry about it!

20. Tell the truth: have you ever tried to do the dance moves, no matter how dorky you looked? Nope. But now that you mention it, I think I'll try that out!

21. If you had to wear a Newsie outfit for a day, whose outfit would you steal? Heh... uh, does Sarah count?

22. What’s your favorite line from a song? "Friends of the friendless, seize the day. Raise up the torch and light the way. Proud and defiant, we'll slay the giant. Let us seize the day!"--"Seize the Day"... obviously, heh.

23. Is Sarah a skank or a sweetheart? A sweetheart. I really liked her.

24. What’s Jack’s best attribute? Oh man, do I have to pick a best? I like everything about the guy! But I'll have to say... his protectiveness over the people he loves. What a man!

25. C’mon now, don’t you just adore Mush? Yeah, he was pretty hot.

26. Every time you hear someone mention “Brooklyn,” do your thoughts automatically turn to Spot Conlon? Actually, my thoughts turn to Lois, who used to be on General Hospital. But that would be my second choice!

27. Which newsie has the coolest accessories? Crutchy! For, he had a crutch! I had two of those, but I'm might glad to be rid of them.

28. Do you fast forward through “Santa Fe” or let Jack wail his heart out? That's the best part of the movie (except for the awesome kiss at the end, of course)! I let him wail his heart out and stare at the screen without blinking.

29. Do you fast forward through the Pulitzer parts? Absolutely!

30. And, last, can you officially proclaim yourself Newsie-Obsessed? Yes, indeed! I know I haven't seen it as many times as I have a certain episode of Daria--"Pierce Me"--or the Harry Potter movie, but I promise I will when I buy it!

--Holly Rachael :-D

I'll Hold Onto the Wings of the Eagles...

Time: 3:44 P.M.
I'm Wearing: Pink and white checkered shirt and jeans.
I Last Ate: Peanut butter and jelly w/ soy milk.
Holly's Song Pick of the Day: "Theme From Spiderman" by Aerosmith.
________________________________________________________

Attention! ATTENTION, I SAY! I officially have a new obsession: Spider-man. Yuuuup. I went to see it again with my father yesterday afternoon, and it was even more rockin' the second time around! I wish to see it again now.

I chatted with my dad at dinner last night about the G.E.D. I must get. Well... actually, he lectured, I listened. He told me I had to call around today and see if anyone gave G.E.D. tests during the summer. Dad says I'm only on his insurance until fall, and then I'm off unless I'm going to school... which means I'd have to be enrolled in college by then. So... uh-oh.

*Shrieks* The Harry Potter DVD is coming out soon! *Happy dance*.

I have a tendency to get my stories very, very wrong. For instance, if I heard my brother say, "I have to break a date with my girlfriend," I might tell my mom, "Zach has to bake a cake with his squirrel, Ben. Did you know Zach had a squirrel?"

My favorite Dr. Suess book is The Lorax. When I was in junior high, I wrote "Holly Zintel--Your Friendly Neighborgood Lorax... I speak for the trees!" on all my papers for some reason.

My nose is always cold and I'm always up for food and lots of attention. My dog and I have quite similar personalities.

Did you know Snapple bottles can dance? They never do it for me, though. Maybe the Snapple company is falsely advertising on their commercials. Perhaps I'll sue.

If I could go back in time, I would go to Israel, right after Jesus was born so I could ask Mary if it hurt when she gave birth to Him. He's perfect, so I figure it didn't. Then I'd give Jesus a hug, an Amy Grant CD, and a stero that runs on batteries.

The person I most identify with is the Insomniac Music Theatre guy on VH1.

Okay... g'bye.

--Holly Rachael :-D

The Human Spider

Time: 11:24 P.M.
I'm Wearing: Pink hoodie, black Luxor shirt and jeans.
I Last Ate: Superman ice cream at the movies.
Holly's Song Pick of the Day: "Hero" by Chad Kroeger
_________________________________________________________

***** SPIDERMAN SPOILERS AHEAD*****

Mom and I just got back from seeing Spiderman. Oh, man! It was so cool with the plot and special effects and the hottie... but Carrie was right. WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT ENDING?! I mean, I understand that this ending leaves an opening for a sequel, but... COME *ON*! Poooor Kirsten! Wait, Kirsten probably made a ton of money off of this movie, so poooooooor M.J.! I mean, her dad was an A-hole, and that Harry dude sucked, and she didn't even get that acting job she wanted.

So what does Peter do? "Gee, it's great that you decided you're in love with me, and kissed me and all, after I've been in love with you since I was 6 years old, but let's just be friends!"

Okay, okay... I'm being a little unfair. Peter didn't have a choice. He's Spiderman, and that's his gift and his curse-- the people he loves will always suffer. So he's trying not to love M.J. so he can save her. I've gotta admit, that's pretty sweet. The dude is giving up the chick he's loved since he was 6 years old so that she won't have to suffer. That's... that's actually *really, SUPER* sweet. But... she doesn't understand, and that saddens me to a major extent. And it's too bad that he had to be "Spiderman" 'cause he wanted to be called The Human Spider.

Huh. Now that I've written about the movie, I seem to get it. Okay... I've decided I really, really like the movie. It's not as good as Harry Potter! But it's pretty dang good.

--Holly Rachael :-D