Final Post on Senior Project Management

Portfolio Editing:

For our class we had to come up with a six week plan on what we hope to achieve before the end of the semester. I have been working hard and have managed to keep up with the schedule I made for myself. It makes the class easier to get through having something to do. Keith Jones, the Graphic Design instructor, has been kind enough to help me go over my designs now and in the past to make sure I have the best possible work. Luckily I have most of my designs already finished, they just need a bit more editing and then I'll be able to slide them into my print and website portfolio. 

I have finished seven out of 21-22 tasks I've set myself so I feel pretty confident that I can get it done with the amount of time left. Especially since I have all of Spring Break to work on everything. Trust me, I'd prefer to enjoy to enjoy myself but all of my teachers have assigned homework at the last minute and is due when we get back on April 2. So work, work, work for me.

Post 8

About Book:

One of the most relatable quotes from the book, for most people, is "I go through the chores, the correspondence, the obligations of daily life. Again I’m there but not really. The clock is running
in my head; I know I can indulge in daily crap for a little while, but I must cut it off when the bell rings" (McKee, 69). Because most days I just go through the motions to try to get through the day, but I don't actually feel inspired to do anything. Just making it through the day seems like an achievement, especially when all you want to do is go to sleep. As a college student this quote from the book is fairly accurate to what I do Monday-Friday every week. I do the work but I don't do it for pleasure or because I am inspired, I do it because it has to be done.

Post 7

About Portfolio:

I have continued to work on images to add to my website and come up with new and creative designs as well. So far I have added; 3 new logos, 3 brochures (front and back images), and 3 business cards. None of these, unfortunately, are real companies but they look clean and professional. I am going to edit these images to be more readable on the computer screen but other than that I will continue working on more designs to add to my portfolio. 

About Group:

The big day came, we turned in out process book and the website URL to the teacher and are officially done with the project. We did not have to present our work to our employers or the class, which was kind of a relief. Now that we are done with the website we have moved on to working by ourselves to create a resume, and continue to work on our website portfolio.

I now have to come up with a proposal about what I hope to achieve in the next 8 weeks by Tuesday, and I have to find a phrase from The War of Art to use for our discussion as well.

Post 6

About Group:

We have finished our parts in the assignment which is good since it it due the 8th of March. As of now we have sorted through our group notes and gave them to our team leader to help her with the process book. She managed to complete the process yesterday during class time and we will present it  together to the class on the 8th. Hopefully we have recorded everything necessary, and we have everything we need for our website as well. If all goes well our employers will decide to use our website from now on. 

About Book:

The second part of the book (Book 2) still mentions "Resistance" every now and then but luckily it has moved on to more motivational chapters. These chapters have to do with the drive to succeed and to stay motivated doing what you do. Even pushing yourself father with the work you love, to not lose the passion in your work. Doing this means "Resistance" can't stop you from achieving your goals. Just as long as you can stay motivated you can continue doing what you enjoy and have a fulfilling life. 

Post 5

About Group:

We had another critique today, but there were only two people here that weren't in our group who got to criticize. Our site, for the most part, is done and everyone liked where it was heading. It's a bit challenging when we aren't sent good images to use but we have managed to polish up the website rather nicely. All we really need to do now is add a "wow" factor and social media links, though there was a suggestion of a newsletter, which we might create at a later date. We are still working on making everything work though. Our next step will probably be making sure the website works on a variety of browsers.

About My Personal Website:

I have started putting together my personal website that will contain my portfolio. It has been rough going since the site I was going to host it on, Hostgator, made me upset when it decided to try and charge me $136.00 for my site. What made it even worse for me is that it had promised that it would be $2.99 per month but wouldn't let me pay monthly. But I digress, I had help from a friend and we found me another site that ended up being a perfect fit for me. The site is called 1&1 Internet Inc. and it is so simple to use. It allows you to see it in laptop mode, tablet mode, and phone mode which allows you to edit it so that everything is readable. Thanks to this site I managed to throw my website together pretty quickly, though I need to still edit pictures and the text that came with the template. Other than that I am very happy with the work I have done so far.

Post 4

About Group:

The group is going well, we had to get in front of the class Tuesday and show what we have on the website. I had a little time before hand to make some necessary changes so that the site looked better. Sadly when we got up there it hadn't loaded correctly so it showed the old format. Thankfully my friend updated it quickly and got everything working the way it was supposed to. We got some feedback on our site and it was good. We just need to make some minor changes and everything will be suitable for a respectable shoe website.
After the critique we worked separately on the site, and with some help I managed to figure out all my issues getting the checkout function to work properly. I am still irritated about the fact that the template limits what you can and can't add, but I am working around what I am given. As of right now I am pretty much done with my part of the website, just need to polish it up a bit. The company has upgraded our template so that we can keep working on it past the 20th of this month.
The only thing I don't like about my task is the fact that they are severely lacking in the accessory department. It's not that they don't have options, it's just that they keep sending pictures of socks when what we need is more variety. A site gets boring when all one can look at is socks. But I will persevere and make this site look as good as I possibly can.

Post 3

About Group:

The project is going alright, we have finally moved on to trying to work with squarespace. I must say working with squarespace has been a challenge. It would not let me add pictures to the page I was assigned, the shoe page. And the next day we got to work on it my files had been deleted so I had to start all over again. To make matters worse we only have 14 days to complete it using this template before the trial expires. Hopefully our client will extend that deadline to give us more time to work on it. So we worked on it on Thursday and I got two of my pages up and working, sort of. The images finally stay on pages I created but I cannot figure out how to click the images and make them take me to a separate page. It is a challenge, but one I am sure to figure out soon.

Post 2 The War of Art

About Book:

I am still on the first book, or part, of The War of Art and I just have to say I am getting tired of hearing the word "Resistance". It is in every other line and it honestly just means procrastination. In one chapter it compares "Resistance" to Jaws, Alien, and Terminator because "they can't be reasoned with". No, they can't be reasoned with, but they are also things that kill people. "Resistance" doesn't kill people, it just keeps you from doing things you need, or want, to do. I feel "Resistance" every day but I never let it stop me, I never fail to do my work. I might forget it sometimes, but I will never not do it because of "Resistance". I know that this book is good, but I am having a hard time enjoying the first book because of all the bad analogies.

About Group:

Also, I have changed teams on which I am working to build a site because one classmate dropped the class. As a result I have been added to another group, but luckily we are all getting along great. So the people we are doing the website for own Valley Sole, a shoe store, and they need the help improving their website so that it flows more naturally and has better content. Let me tell you a little about the site; their home page logo doesn't match the logo on their store or on any of the other pages on the website, the have a podcast page but only have one podcast posted, people can't order the shoes online but instead have to call the store so the store can order them from the company, and they have an about page that gives a lot more information than was required. My group has divided up the work for the project and we have gotten together and worked on the thumbnail sketches done for our site. I am working on the Shoes and Accessories pages for the site because their layout was confusing and didn't allow a customer to choose a size or a different color. As of right now I have created a mock-up of the site in Illustrator and posted in in our group to see what comments my group members have. 

Post 1 on The War of Art

The book has very short chapters and a lot of it makes sense. We - artists, writers, singers, songwriters, etc. - struggle to keep doing what we do. Sometimes you sit in front of your computer,  or canvas, and lose interest in what you are doing so you never complete that task. I suffer from procrastination, which is what I believe the author in this book calls "resistance". The book is easy to follow and not hard to understand, but having the author say "You know, Hitler wanted to be an artist. At eighteen he took his inheritance, seven hundred kronen, and moved to Vienna to live and study. He applied to the Academy of Fine Arts and later to the School of Architecture. Ever see one of his paintings? Neither have I. Resistance beat him. Call it overstatement but I’ll say it anyway: it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas" (pg 15) was a bit too much. Any artist has seen some of his paintings and though they aren't spectacular they weren't terrible. He got rejected and told that his work wasn't good. Resistance didn't "beat him", people killed his dream of becoming an artist. So for the author to say something to that extreme is an overstatement.

There will be an update on this book next week.

Real Post 1

  Hello again! I am back in action and will be writing about my experiences in my Senior Design management class instead of book and movie reviews. So let me explain a little about this college class.
  With a group of classmates we will be making a website for a company so we can learn what companies like and don't like. As a result we can get experience in both the Graphic Design aspect and the Web design part of our future. So far we have contacted our company to set up a meeting but unfortunately it was set for today (which was a snow day so classes were cancelled and the roads were icy) so it was cancelled. I was a pretty good group and hopefully we will be able to set up a meeting so we can start work on this website.
  I will be posting updates regularly as a mandatory thing and will keep you all up to date on out progress on the assignment and any other assignments that go on in class. I will also try to write some more book and movie stuff but my class schedule is hectic so no guarantees.

                                      (not my work unfortunately)

Pawn Review

Title: Pawn

Author: Aimee Carter

Book: (The Blackcoat Rebellion , #1)

Pages: 343

Rating: 4/5

Sorry I've been away so long. School has been kicking my butt, but now that I'm out for Summer I've decided to catch up on some overdue reading. So this book wasn't the first book I read but I finally got to it and I must tell you that I actually enjoyed it. It was fun in a weird way.
Before I get too into the book let me explain a little bit about the ranking system. When kids turn 17 they are required to take a test to see where they will be placed. There are VII's but they are born into it and those are the people who run the country. Only 2% get a VI and they are treated well because they are an asset to society. IV and V's live well enough. But II's and III's are the people who clean up the sewers and are treated like scum in society. I's aren't even permitted to exist. So now that that has been explained on with the story.
Kitty is brilliant and she just took her test but unfortunately for her she can't read...so she got a III. Her boyfriend, Benjy, is set to take the test in a month which is why she decided to stay in D.C. instead of moving to Denver to muck around in the sewers. To do so though she must go with Tabs to sell her virginity and make the money to stay. So she gets bought...but by someone she lest expects...Prime Minister Daxton. He makes a deal to turn her into a VII but didn't tell her what she had to do until it was too late.
When she woke up she was Lila Hart, the Minister's niece who Daxton had killed. She may look like her but she has to learn to act like her as well else risk her life and Benjy's as well. If she fails they'll be sent to Elsewhere were the rich hunt them down like animals. anyone who does wrong, even a little bit, is sent there to be hunted. So she plays along with Lila's mother Celia, her fiancé Knox, her cousin Grayson, and her grandmother Augusta. But there is a lot more to the real Lila than anyone is willing to tell so it's up to Kitty to learn the truth and stay alive long enough to escape.
When Kitty learns of the Blackcoats and who leads them will she resist or will she joint their cause and fight the evil the raking system created? Will Benjy be killed for her actions? When she learns what she must do to survive...will she do it?
Yes, the synopsis was kind of vague but trust me the book is worth checking out. I'll let everyone know how the 2nd book goes once I get my hands on it.

About The Author

Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She is the author of several series, including The Goddess Test series, The Blackcoat Rebellion series, and the Simon Thorn series.

Big Hero 6 Movie Review

 

Title: Big Hero 6

Year: 2014

Time: 1hr 45min

Rating: 5/5

I know how some cartoon movies are said to have all their best scenes in the previews. This isn't the case for this movie. The clips on the preview, albeit very funny, were nothing compared to the scenes in the movie. I absolutely love Baymax! "Hairy Baby!" Ohmygosh this has to be the best Marvel movie I've seen all year!
Hiro (Ryan Potter) is a genious 14 year old boy who botfights in San Fransokyo until his brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) takes him to the labs at his college. He meets GoGo Tomago (Jamie Chung), Fred (T.J. Miller), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), and Professpr Robert Callaghan (James Cromwell).There he also meets Baymax (Scott Adsit), his brother's project, and realizes that he could actually use his brain the way he had always wanted to. To get in he has to compete against the best and brightest in a competition to come up with the best design to be able to get into the school.
Hiro creates microbots and wins the competition but when he and his brother are alone the university catches fire and Tadashi goes inside to try and save his professor. The building explodes and Hiro looses his brother.
Lost in a depression he almost reverts back to botfighting until he realizes that Baymax was in his home and hadn't gotten destroyed in the fire. Baymax finds a microbot and follows it to a warehouse while Hiro tries to talk him into coming back home. They are attacked by a man in a Kabuki who is controlling Hiro's microbots and so the battle begins. He and his band of scientists must come together and become heroes. Using their new "powers" they go after the man and Baymax is turned into a thoughtless killing machine when Hiro finds out who the masked man really is and changes his programming.
Needless to say, the bad guy got away but Hiro is shown what he needed to see by Baymax when they are alone. Then he and his team go after the man in the Kabuki mask.
Will they defeat the man in the Kabuki mask? What is the villain really after? Does Baymax make it out of this battle alive?
I absolutely loved this movie and am so sorry it took me so long to write this review...especially since I went to see it the day it came out. School has been busy and work isn't helping me get any writing done. Oh well! Go see this movie! You will not regret it! Oh and stay until after the credits because Stan Lee comes into play! I didn't expect there to be anything at the end but I was so wrong.

The Maze Runner Movie Review

Title: The Maze Runner

Year: 2014

Time: 1hr & 53min

Rating: 4/5

So I read the book that this movie is based on a long time ago and am pretty sure they changed a lot in the movie, some of which shouldn't have been changed.
Thomas (Dylan O'Brian) wakes up in the lift to find he has no recollection of anything but his name which comes back after a while. When he is pulled out he finds himself in the Glade surrounded by a bunch of other boys. Like him they know nothing about themselves other than their names. Every thirty days a new boy appears but Thomas is the beginning of something else. Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Chuck (Blake Cooper), Albi (Aml Ameen), and Minho (Ki-Hong Lee) all become his friends after he spends the night in the Maze, saving Minho and Albi by killing a Griever with Minho's help.
The very next day a girl, Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), appears in the shaft and doesn't know who she is or why she was sent there. Gally (Will Poulter) believes that she and Thomas are the beginning of the end of their lives and tries to get them banished into the Maze. The truth is that if they don't find a way out of the maze they will be killed by the Grievers who begin attacking when the Maze doesn't close like it is supposed to at night.
Thomas and a few others find out that the Grievers are machines that can be used to escape the maze and he could've at the time if the Maze hadn't reacted the way it had. Though the Maze is unsolvable Thomas is pretty sure he has figured a way out. After injecting himself with Griever venom he remembers some of his past the more he stays there the more he remembers. He knows he has seen the girl before. In fact it was with her help that he was able to build the maze for the people who sent them there. They were sent there to be tested!
Will Thomas be able to convince them to all escape the maze with him? Are they headed into a trap? What will they find if they make it out alive?
I honestly can't wait for the next movie to come out...if there is going to be another movie in the series. I still need to read the second book anyway. It is a really good movie and I hope you all agree once you see it.

Dracula Untold Movie Review

Title: Dracula Untold

Year: 2014

Time: 1hr & 32min

Rating: 5/5

After seeing the previews on TV and in the theatre I practically begged my father to take me to see the movie and he complied on the day it came out. I must say that I wasn't at all disappointed with the movie and desperately need to watch the original Bram Stoker's Dracula.
When I got home after this movie I was able to finish a book I had been writing fore months that is based on Dracula. There might be some spoilers in this post so if you want to see the movie with an open mind you might want to skip this. If you want to know, like I would, then read on by all means.
Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) lives in peace with his wife Mirena (Sarah Gadon) and his son Ingeras (Art Parkinson). Unfortunately his time for peace and quiet are over when the Turks demand all the boys in the area for yet another war. Vlad refuses and kills the men who come to take his son. To protect his family he goes up into the mountains and into a cave where a true monster lurks. The monster Simion (Ronan Vibert) gives Vlad a choice...protect his family or die. Vlad obviously chose to protect his people and family so he drinks the vampires blood and has three days until the powers wane. There was a catch though, should he drink blood from a human he would remain a vampire forever.
His friend from the war Mehmed (Dominic Cooper) sends thousands of men to get the boys for the war and Vlad kills them all singlehandedly. Realizing that it wasn't safe in the castle anymore they go to the monastery up in the mountains. While his family and people traveled in the day he was forced to travel at night which almost led to his family being killed by some Turks who'd come after them.
Once they make it to the monastery everyone turns on Vlad when they realize what he was. His wife stood up for him and he prepared for the 100,000 troops, including Mehmed, that came after him. He killed many but while he was distracted the Turks threw his wife off of the balcony and he flew after her in a panic. Not being fast enough she lay dying only to tell him to drink her blood. Against his better judgment he does and creates an army out of his fallen comrades. He and his army go after Mehmed, who has Ingeras, and wreak havoc on the army.
Do he and his army of vampires win? What does he do with the uncontrollable vampires afterwards? Does his son make it out alive?
I honestly loved the ending because I wasn't expecting it. This is a tragic love story, which appeals to women, and has great battle scenes for the men. It was a great ending though and I hope you all go and see it. You will love it! :D

Guardians of the Galaxy Movie Review

Title: Guardians of the Galaxy

Year: 2014

Time: 2hrs & 2min

Rating: 4.5/5

So after work one day I talked my mom into going to see this movie with me since I'd heard great things about it from all of my friends. Even the woman we bought the tickets from said it was the best movie playing at the time. That was all it really took for my mom to finally agree to go see it with me.
Quin, or Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), is taken from Earth after his mother died when he was young and was supposed to be taken to his father and yet the mercenaries had another idea. Now he is a thief who steals important artifacts to sell to the highest bidder. One such artifact is desired by another, Ronan (Lee Pace), who sends men to retrieve the orb.
When his men fail he sends his master Thanos's (Josh Brolin) daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to get the orb from Quin only to be attacked by bounty hunters Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel). In an attempt to get the reward on Quin's head they start a fight that leads them all to be arrested and thrown in jail. There they meet Drax (Dave Bautista) who almost kills Gamora only to decide that he needs her alive in order to draw Ronan to the prison. He needs her alive in order to kill Ronan who killed his wife and child.
Groot and Rocket manage to find a way to break all of them out of prison and so their journey on Quin's ship begins. They travel to see Gamora's buyer in order to find out why the orb was so important. The Collector (Benicio Del Toro) tells them what is inside the orb and they all realize that the thing must never fall into Ronan's hands if they wanted the galaxy to survive.
Unfortunately Drax send word to Ronan and a fight breaks out in which Gamora and Quin are captured by Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker) who was the one to put the bounty on Quin's head. Instead of killing Quin they decided to go after Ronan, who had taken the orb, and save a planet.
A huge battle begins and  a lot of people die...Do the Guardians survive? Does Ronan destroy the planet and take over the universe? Who is Quin's real father?
Well unfortunately you don't find out the answer to the last question, which stinks, but it is still a great movie and you can't help but love Rocket! Everyone must see this movie!

Blended Movie

Title: Blended

Year: 2014

Time: 1hr 57min

Rating: 5/5

So I went to see this movie with a guy and I wasn't too hopeful since Adam Sandler is in the movie but I ended up loving it. And to top off my wonderful evening I was thrilled that my first date ever went so well. Who would've thought?
Jim (Adam Sandler) and Lauren (Drew Barrymore) go on their first date, to Hooters of all places! Needless to say, it goes horribly wrong and they end up fleeing from each other. Lauren organizes closets with her best friend Jen (Wendi Mclendon-Covey) and has two boys that she raises alone since her ex (Joel McHale) is never around. Jim works at Dick's Sporting Good and has three daughters that he is raising alone since his wife died of cancer.
A chance meeting leads them to have the same idea. They both plan a trip to Africa, not realizing that they are both going to be going there. They run into each other and immediately start fighting. Jim takes the boys; Brendan (Braxton Beckham) and Tyler (Kyle Red Silverstine), under his wing while Lauren does the same for the girls; Hilary(Bella Thorne), Espen (Emma Fuhrmann), Lou (Alyvia Alyn Lind). Together they have a wonderful vacation. Jim and Lauren even start to fall for one another but before things can go too far Jim pulls away and the vacation ends.
Jim tries to reconcile with her and try again but he runs into Mark (her ex) who tells him that Lauren and he are trying to make it work. As if! So he leaves and Lauren doesn't know why. Thankfully he shows up for Tyler's baseball game and they kiss. About time right!?
Well this is a definitely must see movie! I hope you take my advice and go see it with you boyfriend/girlfriend, wife/husband, or a friend. It is a perfect couple's movie!

Song of the Moon Review

Title: Song of the Moon

Author: Catherine Banks

Book: (Artemis Lupine, #1)

Pages: 294

Rating: 5/5

So it was a tad bit slow at first but it sped up and I began to hate all the men in her life outside of her pack. Bret and Billy were total jerks! Agh!
Darren is Artemis's father and he takes her and Bret (her best friend) on a trip where they run into the man from her dreams. She has been having dreams of Ares for over a week and when they meet her father rips Artemis away and takes them back home. There they are able to sneak out and watch the news which her father specifically prohibited.
Artemis has one friend (Bret) but she realizes that he has feelings for her that are more than just friendly. Then Billy tries to make her fall for him but that doesn't turn out so well. Ares comes for her and takes her with him, Matt, and Koda (his pack). See they are werewolves, the ones from her dreams. They take her to a small village where Ares (her mate) begins to explain things to her but he keeps some things a secret. Bret gets turned into a werewolf and she finally shifts into her werewolf form. Which is good but once Victor (vampire) shows up and their emotions are being played with they leave and go back to her house to get a few things.
Then they go with Victor to Paris where they meet the Vampire King and she gets a strange vibe from him. Koda, Matt, Ares and her become a pack by sleeping (just sleeping) in the same bed together. But when she gets kidnapped by the Vampire Queen Isabella she discovers that she is part fey. Ares comes to save her and after thinks that he rejected her advances only to finally seal their bond as mates.
At the end they discover that Artemis is supposedly "engaged" to a fey they meet. What an interestingly open ending! It made me laugh so hard at the randomness of it!

About The Author

I'm just your average nerdy bibliophile. I love books, video games, music and movies. In 2010 I self-published my first novel and now I have several titles under construction. I love fantasy and have an extreme love for werewolves. I spend my days off work writing one of my novels or with my husband, daughter, 3 dogs, horse and cat. I love writing stories and they seem to flow out of me constantly. I just want people to read my stories and enjoy them.

Close Liaisons Review

Title: Close Liaisons

Author: Anna Zaires

Book: (The Krinar Chronicles, #1)

Pages: 318

Rating: 5/5

So I thought this book would be rather silly, and it was, don't get me wrong! But it was an amazing book full of new ideas! It has given me an idea on a new book to write too! How cool is that!? I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series!
Mia is just a normal college kid living with her best friend. After the world was taken over by the Krinar everything has gotten better and yet there are still pockets of people who are part of the resistance. Aliens are bad right?
She has never had an interest in the resistance or aliens for that matter until she meets Korum, an incredibly sexy Krinar who won't leave her alone. He always seems to turn up when she least expects it!
He takes her on dates and wants to control everything she does, much to her annoyance and she decides to help the resistance get any information she can to help them with their cause. He takes her virtue and so the challenge begins. Can she keep her heart or will she give it up to him?
As their time together gets more intense she will have to find the information before it is too late for the resistance. She loves him...will she be able to betray him? Yes, yes she will.
Does the resistance fall because of her information? Can the aliens leave peacefully for the sake of humanity or will there be another war? Will Korum give up Mia? Can Mia ever forget about Korum if he does leave?
I know the synopsys I wrote isn't very long...but it is much better to read the book than to go on my word that the book is good. It is! I am a writer, I just can't come up with any words that will do this book any justice! :D Hope you read and enjoy the book!

About The Author

Anna Zaires fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. She wrote her first story shortly thereafter. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.
After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.  
Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.
In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.
She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.

So cool! You wouldn't believe my luck!

So Monday brought storms and tornadoes but yet my dad and I still had to drive up to Nashville to pick my mom up from the airport. It was a long boring trip but when we got there I saw someone I never thought I'd actually meet! Sure I didn't remember his name but what the hell! I knew he was from American Idol so I took a picture of him from a distance. He looked up just as I took the picture so I turned tail and headed the opposite direction.

Then for the hell of it, (and knowing I would regret it if I didn't) I walked up to him and began to talk to him.
"I know this might sound weird, but were you on American Idol?" I asked him.
"Yes."
"What's your name?" I asked in embarrassment.
"Colton." he replied.
Then we talked for a minute and I went back to sit down only to go back over to him and ask if I could get a picture with him. He said sure and since my dad wouldn't get up to take the picture I did it myself! My hands were shaking so badly! I felt so pathetic!
So I sat back down and made my friend look up his name since I still didn't remember his last name and she replied immediately. Ahh! Colton Dixon! I met Colton Dixon at the Nashville Airport people! How amazing is that?!
So now I'm sitting at school listening to his music on YouTube and wondering how I haven't heard of him since American Idol! He's a wonderful singer! Gah! That has to be the best thing that has happened to me all week! I am still mad at myself that the pictures I took were so blurry!
Gosh I look like an idiot in these pictures...I am not photogenic!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Title: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Year: 2014

Movie: (Captain America, #2)

Time: 2hrs 26min

Rating: 5/5

So I was dying to see this movie so I dragged my dad along with me on Sunday to go see the movie after shopping around the mall. I got two new pair of shoes! So happy! Well we went to the movie theatre and I swear the previews lasted a good twenty minutes but they were sooooo worth it! The movie was fantastic!

SPOILER ALERTS!!!

Captain America (Chris Evans) has been working for S.H.I.E.L.D since the attack on New York and the movie starts out with him, his men, and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Once the mission is completed Steve finds out there was an ulterior motive for raiding the ship. When Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is attacked he turns to Steve for helps and tells him not to trust anyone. Then he is killed in Steve's apartment by the Winter Soldier. Or is he?
Steve is blamed for his death (or something or other) by Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and has to go on the run with Natasha who is the only one he can trust. With everyone trying to kill them they have to turn to a friend of Steve's, Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon (Anthony Mackie). They learn that Hydra is still running their operations and has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D and is planning on killing anyone who stands the risk of turning against them. That's millions of people guys!!
Steve never thought that the Winter Soldier could be someone he knows...and yet he is. It's Bucky (Sebastian Stan)! The same one believed to be killed on a mission over seventy years ago. Bucky doesn't remember Steve at all (thanks to brainwashing) and tries to kill Steve, Natasha, and Sam. The tree of them are captures by S.H.I.E.L.D, AKA Hydra, and Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders) breaks them out and takes them someplace safe. The very same place Nick Fury has been hiding out while he healed.
Now it is up to all of them to reprogram the three ships to destroy one another instead of the general population...including Stark (who isn't shown in the movie). Falcon disables one, Steve another, and Natasha and Fury take on Alexander Pierce.
Steve makes it to the third ship but can he reprogram it in time? Bucky is there...will he kill Steve? His own friend? Will millions of people be killed? If Bucky can't remember...will they both die as a consequence of a mad doctor's work?
This movie was brilliant! Agh! My friend told me to stay until the end and yet she didn't! People! Stay until the END of the credits! Not the end of the movie! THE. END. OF. THE. CREDITS! Oh and Emily VanCamp, the girl from the TV show Revenge, is in the movie playing Agent 13, AKA Kate or his neighbor! Hope you enjoy the movie!