May 2008

A slow start

Vampires, werewolves, and romance -- and a heap of teen angst. A couple of my friends recommended Twilight to me last fall, and one even loaned me her copy of the book. I started reading it in October, but never got very far. It seemed slow, and too "young adult fiction" for me. It didn't grab me like the Harry Potter stories had, so I set it aside.

Remember what it felt like to be seventeen?

Well, in April, I was convinced to try it again. I made it through the relatively slow first couple of chapters, getting to know the characters, and becoming accustomed to Stephenie Meyer's writing style. Little by little, I became emotionally attached to the main character, Bella Swan, because Meyer does an excellent job of reminding me what it felt like to be seventeen. The self-consciousness, anxiety, emotion, and will-he-notice-me-today butterflies...

Impossibly in love

As Bella became entwined in the mysterious life of her crush, Edward Cullen (an irresistibly beautiful, and dangerous vampire), so did I. By the halfway point in Twilight, I was completely hooked on the story, and I couldn't put the book down. Once the action started, it was genuinely exciting, and it didn't stop until the end. It was like the first half had been a long, slow ascent on a roller coaster, and the second half was the screaming fast, twisty-loopy part. As soon as I was done, I wanted to go again! So I went right out and bought New Moon, the second book.

New Moon seemed to follow the same slow-start-fast-finish pattern that Twilight had. I finished that off in about a week, and I'm waiting for my favorite Man In Brown to deliver Eclipse today. I'm completely in love with Edward, the powerful, gentle, protective, beautiful vampire. And the way Meyer describes him, it seems to make perfect sense that Bella would want to be with him forever, no matter what...

The fourth and final book, Breaking Dawn, will be released in August, and I have already pre-ordered it.

Waiting impatiently for the movie

Twilight, the movie, will be released in December 2008 November 21, 2008, and I am so excited! I can hardly wait to see the amazing story of vampires, werewolves, legend, and magic, come to life on the screen. This photo is of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who play Edward (vampire) and Bella (human). Aren't they gorgeous?!

You have all summer to get caught up if you start reading now... Cheers!

My kids love flexible bendy straws, and I brought home a package from Bed Bath & Beyond a couple of days ago. After I opened the package, I happened to read the "Use and Care Instructions" on the back, and this is what I saw... In case that's too small for you to read, here is what it says.

Perfect for rootbeer floats, sodas, cocktails and more. Three fun colors. Handwash before use. (emphasis added)

You've got to be kidding me! Who has the time or inclination to wash a bunch of plastic straws before use?! Sorry, but the most I can manage is a quick rinse with tap water. What am I supposed to do? Get out the pipe cleaners to scrub the skinny tubes? I guess I'll be looking for Made in USA bendy straws from now on, and these will go into the craft bin.

I have been looking forward to getting my feet on the WiiFit balance board for months, and my early pre-order paid off when it was delivered on Wednesday. (Oh, how I love seeing that UPS man strolling up the sidewalk with a big Amazon box in his arms!) I've been using it for three days, and here are my impressions so far...

Set-up is easy

From box to playtime, it took about 5 minutes. The hardest part (and it's not really hard) is finding the sync buttons on the board and the Wii console. Once they start talking to each other, it's just like playing any other game. Watch the screen and follow the instructions.

Don't take it personally

My family knew how excited I was to finally get the WiiFit, and they gathered around while I took the first turn. We started up the "game," and I got on the board to create my WiiFit profile. I didn't know that the WiiFit was going to calculate my BMI and call me a fatty in front of my audience! Okay, it didn't actually say "fatty," but be warned that it will collect data including your height, age, and weight. It will calculate your BMI, and show you where that lands you on a scale from underweight to obese. I was particularly sad when the WiiFit version of my mii went *poof* and became chubby, to match my BMI. Oh well... It's not personal; it's mathematical.

Exercise games are really fun

I'm not the kind of girl who enjoys going to a class and getting sweaty with lots of other people. I prefer going for walks by myself, especially in the cool morning or evening air. However, it's hard for me to make time for that, I don't always feel safe walking alone, and I hate mosquitoes. The WiiFit exercises really are like games, and after just one 20 minute session, I could feel it in my muscles. I love that I don't have to go anywhere to get a little exercise, and it's more fun than our old treadmill. And no mosquitoes! Ski racing, ski jumping, stability trials, yoga, calisthenics, jogging, and step-aerobics are some of the games we've played so far. There's also hula-hooping -- which is so far my best event! I knew these hips were good for something! Watch out for swiveling badunkadunk!

Seeing results after three days

I've been having so much fun doing the exercises, that it's been effortless to accumulate 20 minutes of activity each day! I've recovered from my initial feelings of resentment toward my WiiFit (for calling me fat), and now love the built-in weight and BMI tracking features. My muscles feel good, and my weight and BMI are trending downhill on my WiiFit chart. Yippee!

Unlockable games and features keep it fresh

As you accumulate minutes in your WiiFit Bank (looks like a digital piggy bank), you unlock new games and features. My kids and I get really excited when we get new games! We've already unlocked a more advanced Super Hula Hoop game. :-)

Buy it if you can find it...

From what I've heard, the WiiFit is hard to find in stock anywhere, including online. If you find one, grab it!