It's raining and I actually feel like posting something. Last night, I went to go see Into the Woods at my school with a bunch of friends. It was much better than I thought it was going to be. I also have the main theme song stuck in my head. Very annoying.
Two days ago, I finished reading New Moon!!!!! It was better than what I had heard, but still not super good. Now I just need to get Eclipse and Breaking Dawn!

Last saturday, I hung out with my friends Rachel, Jen, Elise, and Margaux and watched Twilight. It was the first time I had seen it and I was very excited. I read the book months ago but never saw the movie in theaters. There were some parts of the movie I didn't like and I don't like that they left out certain parts that I liked when I read it. Of course, I did not mind staring at some of the vampires for two hours. Apparently there is no such thing as an ugly vampire.
After I saw Twilight, I decided to finish the series. I am currently reading New Moon, the second book. So far, I do not like it and I'm having trouble sticking to reading the entire thing because some of my friends keep telling me what happens. From what I have read so far, I'm nervous about the movie which comes out November 20, 2009.
I will keep you updated as I read through the series!

I realize it has been a very long time since I last posted, and I thought that it was about time for an update.
In the last few months a lot has happened. Since my Grandmother’s passing in November, I have been busy balancing school, soccer, my friends, and visiting my Grandfather. In January, he was admitted to the hospital for a few weeks. I spent a couple of weekends visiting him and checking in on my Grandparents house. He is now back at his assisted living place in Statham.
March 1, I celebrated my 15th birthday with two of my friends, Parker and Christian at the beach. It was a lot of fun and while we were there it actually snowed in Atlanta! So I can say I was in two extremes on my birthday, snow and sand.
School and soccer have been taking up most of my time but I have so far managed to balance them. I play for two teams. The first being my school Paideia, and then I also play for the Atlanta Youth Soccer Association in the rec league. School has been kind of challenging. Of course there are the subjects that I don’t enjoy, like biology and math. My acting class has given me an opportunity to play different characters and break the routine of sitting in a classroom and listen to a lecture.
This year has been a slow year for movies. So far I have seen Defiance. It is a WW II movie where Daniel Craig plays a man who with his brothers, sets up a camp in the woods to hide from the Nazi’s. I loved it and it actually prompted me to read more about the Jewish resistance. The second film I have seen is the ever-popular Watchmen. I enjoyed the movie, but there were a few things that really started to annoy me. First off, as many may know, one of the main characters is Dr. Manhattan. He control matter and energy and is completely blue. He is emotionally detached from humanity and a way they show it, is he doesn’t wear clothes most of the time. It really started to annoy me because he didn’t have to do anything but stand there while he used his mind to put the clothes on. I mean come on! Is it really too much trouble to put some clothes on? Another key thing in the movie, is that another of the characters, Rorschach, is the narrator, and about every 20 -30 minutes, he would say “Rorschach’s Journal” and start into an explanation. After the 3rd time, I was like “ok, I get the point.” Of course, that has now become an inside joke in my circle of friends. I definitely recommend the movie but I also recommend if you can, you should read the book.

Grandma.
I’d like to thank Rev. Appleton for being with us today and conducting this service. My grandmother thought very highly of you and would be honored by your presence. My family is grateful and we thank you.
Last Friday night, I was in Columbus GA with a group of traveling buddies for the Georgia-Auburn game taking place the following afternoon. Now keep in mind, most of the conversations this group of friends have revolve around football, grilling meat, girls and football. But yet, I had the room hushed and captivated by the story of a dashing, young American serviceman from the hills of Georgia, who stormed into the mother country of Great Britain and managed to sweep a witty, intelligent and classy Welsh girl off her feet and back to the states. There was the dangerous mission with a suitcase handcuffed to his wrist in order to get back to Wales for the wedding. A marriage license signed by no less than the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe himself, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Then followed 64 years of marriage, in which a successful life was built, producing a great family, and a lasting impact on the community in which they lived. Whenever people hear this story, they marvel at how it sounds like something straight out of Hollywood. And in this script, it’s easy to see my grandfather playing the role of the hero. Indeed, he did. The country boy who won the heart of the sophisticated British girl. I still marvel at the gumption it must have taken my grandfather to approach a girl like Grandma, much less marry her. I mean, Grandma was a catch. Grandma also had high standards for people. So, it is a testament to the kind of man my grandfather is, that he was the love of her life. He is one of the most honorable and noble men I have ever known and someone I admire greatly.
But this Hollywood script had a co-star in my grandmother. As amazed as I am at the lengths my grandfather went to, I have always been equally astounded by the incredible strength my grandmother showed, at the age of 19, in leaving all she had ever known, her family, Wales, the land of her fathers, to come to America and start a new life. Imagine the courage an action like that takes. It wasn’t always easy in those first days. Lord knows, there are enough stories about Grandma’s time in Colbert to fill a book. A really funny book. But she persevered, remained strong, and remained at my grandfather’s side. Certainly, this is a testament to the incredible love that bound their relationship. But it also a tribute to the amazing strength of my grandmother.
Quite simply, my grandmother is the strongest person I have ever known. Not just the strongest woman. Sometimes, we fall into the trap of thinking our role models, our heros, must look just like us and fit some preconceived stereotype of strength. But, no, my grandmother was a powerhouse of strength and courage. She feared no one and allowed nothing to stand in her way when pursuing what she knew to be right and true. It is a quality I often search for when I am faced with a tough road I know must be traveled. My grandmother was so strong, so fearless, she even had the courage to send her older sister to her room. Mind you, that older sister was about 60 years old at the time. I remember when this story was being told to me over a dinner table by Dad, Uncle Jon and Uncle Tim. They rolled with laughter as they recalled Grandma sending Auntie Helen to her room after she found her walking outside in the oppressive heat of a summer afternoon in Georgia. Sticking to her guns, after all this years, Grandma replied, “Well, she was acting like a fool. Out there in the heat like that.” And Auntie Helen was no shrinking violet either, mind you.
Grandma’s strength was on display for years as a columnist for the Athens Observer. A lifelong love affair with the written word gave her the ability to express herself with a clear and commanding voice. A fiercely independent woman, Grandma needed no help in making her views known. A co-worker of my grandfather, taking issue with some of the views expressed by my Grandmother in a column, asked my grandfather if he reviewed and approved her columns before she submitted them. He replied, “when the byline reads Mrs. William D. King then you’ll know I approved them beforehand.” But we know the byline never said that. Instead, it always read Mollie Parry King.
One of the most extraordinary things about my grandmother was how she was not only one of the strongest people I have ever known, but she was also one of the kindest and most generous. It was in her blood. Her father, a butcher in Abergavenny, would donate food to poor farmers in the surrounding hills. But did so with care not to offend the dignity of those proud people by accepting whatever small token of payment they offered. Understanding that they did not want charity. Then there was her mother. By all accounts, Grandma was rivaled only by her mother in terms of generosity, ability and dynamic spirit. That kindness was on display in one of Grandma’s favorite stories about the time her mother called on the family doctor on behalf of a certain young American soldier with a bad cough. She asked the doctor if he could provide any of that cough medicine he had used for Grandma in the past. The doctor asked, “is Mollie sick?” My great-grandmother replied, “Well, no, but there is this young American with a dreadful smokers cough.” The doctor looked at her and said, “Mrs. Parry, you know you can’t mother the world.” She replied, “Yes, but I can I have a good try at it.” I think Grandma told that story because it was an example of the kind of life she tried to lead. The task may be daunting, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a fight. And a generous act is not simply a nice thing to do, but the right thing to do.
One of the true joys of my childhood was coming to Athens every summer for a week long vacation with Grandma and Papa. I knew I was in store for great food, romping through the vegetable garden, watching Braves games with Papa, and fascinating stories from Grandma’s rich world of experiences. She always made sure I got to tag along with Papa on whatever he was doing and even taught me a thing or two about grammar. Each night, before I would go to bed, she would turn out the light and say to me, “Goodnight, God Bless, see you in the morning.”
But when I really got to know Grandma was when I moved to Athens over five years ago to attend the university. My dorm freshman year was, at times, pure chaos. And I think that might be a phrase the Red and Black, our student newspaper, used to describe my hall in the article they wrote after a bizarre incident involving a fire extinguisher. I was in a place with people who perhaps would not have always met Grandma’s high standards for conduct. But at her house, I found an oasis of calm in the midst of the storm that was freshman year. Grandma’s generosity was on full display with her near magical ability to always have a meat pie ready for whenever I came, an open offer to use the washer and drying machines anytime I liked or to even stay the night, as I did when my dorm room, during finals no less, flooded, which was thought previously impossible considering the room was on the second floor. Never underestimate a clogged sink’s ability to make a mess.
But the real treat of all those visits was listening to Grandma. Her sharp and restless intellect gave her a fount of topics on which she could be conversant. Sometimes it was politics or news. Perhaps, though, the best times were those when she would tell her stories from back in the days when wolves were still in Wales. Grandma had a treasure trove of tales, some amusing, others serious. I learned family history, but in that colorful way in which Grandma could bring to life a scene, even one involving people I had never met. During my final visit with her, last Friday, she told me a story of a family secret involving her great aunts. She learned the secret through honest and open conversations she would have with her father, as he lay in bed with cancer. Years later, talking about those conversations with her older sister, would lead Auntie Helen to remark to Grandma, “I wish I had known our father the way you did.” I am extremely grateful that I and many others knew Grandma the way she knew her father. Our lives are richer for it and the history of our forefathers, her history, carries on because of it.
I think one of the things we fear about dying is the question of our legacy. Will anyone remember me when I am gone? Is the world any different from me being there? In the case of Grandma, the answer is a simple one. My uncle and cousins and I like to play trivia every Thursday night and this is the type of question that would have us scribbling down the answer as fast as possible and betting the maximum number of points. A resounding yes. We have her words, preserved in a lifetime of columns, letters and journals. We can see the results of her deeds in not only the community she affected but the proud family she raised. In each of us, I see some part of her live on. I see her strength in the no-nonsense force that is my cousin Jennifer. Not to mention her son Gabe. My Uncle Tim remarked to me the other day. “When Gabe is in the room, you know.” I see Grandma in the quiet determination of my cousin Missy. And I recognize her strength in the fierce competitive spirit that pushed my cousin Caroline to the rarefied air of elite-level gymnastics. And Lord knows, I see Grandma’s influence all over the strong woman I can already see developing in my sister Olivia. Recently, my mother said to me, “Do you know that your sister was the only person in her class that had read “Pride and Prejudice?” I wonder who recommended that book.
In addition to her strength living on in all of us Kings, and certainly we could use it right now, that spirit of generosity and kindness lingers on. I see it everytime my Uncles Jon and Tim think nothing of coming out during the hottest possible day in mid-August, throwing my furniture in the back of Uncle Tim’s truck and helping me move for the 419th time in the last five years. I see it every Christmas, when my sister and I inevitably get that amazing gift that we would have never known even existed, except for Dad going that extra mile to find something meaningful and special. I know in my own life, I will carry her with me forever and I will think of her often. Perhaps when I have my daily cup of tea, or make her beef stew, or read a good book, or hear a good story or simply just want to smile. I will carry her always. “There will be times when all the things she said will fill our heads, we won’t forget her.”
A fellow Welshman, Dylan Thomas, in perhaps his most famous poem, implored his father, facing impending death, to “rage, rage against the dying light. Do not go gentle into that good night.” Grandma’s life was so rich and full, she could hardly be accused of ever letting up. But that good night is upon us now. For the past few days, we have been devastated and shrouded by its darkness. But after the night always comes the morning and with it a time to celebrate. Celebrate a battle well fought, a job well done, a life well lived. To paraphrase something her father was fond of saying, “There was no one better than you and you were a sight bit better than most.” Goodnight Grandma. God Bless. See you in the morning.

Friday, I went to go see the new James bond movie with a couple of friends. I had been waiting for the new movie since the last one came out and the trailer had made it look very good. But I was sorely disappointed. I think that this movie focused too much on chases and killing. I would say that within the first hour of the movie, there were four or five chases. I also didn’t like how Bond didn’t have a real relationship with any of the “Bond girls.” I understand that he was grieving and he was trying to get revenge for the death of Vesper, but I don’t think that really works for James Bond. I did enjoy parts of the movie, like the first chase where you see the famous image of Bond hanging upside down and then he fires a gun. I was kind of disappointed that they didn’t use the famous line “the names Bond, James Bond.” I know it wouldn’t have worked but that is the only traditional Bond line that I missed. I was also glad to see that they brought Mathis back. I had hoped he would play a major part and I was glad to see he did. I went to the movie with two of my guy friends and of course they enjoyed staring at Olga Kurylenko. I thought she did a very good job and her character, in my opinion, had more depth. I know I‘m one of the few people who didn’t enjoy this movie but what can I say. I think I 'll stick to Casino Royale.

Feel free to comment!

Early in October I took a trip to Washington D.C with my church. We were attending the National Acolyte Festival at the National Cathedral. We drove up Friday. It took about eleven hours to get there. When we got in, we checked into the hotel and then went out to find somewhere to eat dinner. After we ate, my friends and I walked to Pennsylvania Avenue to the White house. We got a few pictures and then headed back to the hotel for some sleep. Like we didn’t get enough sleep in the car!
Next day, we got up, had breakfast at Starbucks, and then headed to the cathedral. Our group got dressed in our vestments and waited for the service to begin. Our church was in the beginning of the procession and I got to hold the banner that had the name of our church on it. The whole procession too an hour and then continued with the service. After the service there was lunch and workshops. My friends and I attended the workshop about the gargoyles of the cathedral. Part of the workshop was going outside to find some. I found the Darth Vader gargoyle, which had been designed by a kid who had entered it into a contest. We also walked around the gift shop and of course bought something.
That evening we boarded the bus and went to Union Station for dinner and to catch our trolley tour. The restaurant we went to was a pizzeria, which wasn’t very good. After dinner, we got in line to board the trolley for our night tour of the monuments. I was so excited because we got to see some of the monuments and buildings that I want to visit. I saw the FDR monument, Lincoln memorial, Iwo Jima, we drove by Arlington Cemetery, Washington monument, Library of Congress, building where the senators have their offices, Smithsonian Castle, drove by the Capitol and the Pentagon, and the Judicial building.
Next day we packed up the car and started driving home. It took us a full twelve hours to get there because we stopped for a big breakfast in Virginia. I’m so excited for next year and I hope that I can go again.
OTHER NEWS:
Lately I haven’t been doing much except for school, soccer, and hanging out at Christian’s house. For Halloween, last night, I did go to a different neighborhood to trick-or-treat with a bunch of friends. I didn’t get a lot of candy but I still had fun. After school I went home with my friends Meg and Erica and we were playing dress up while helping Meg find a costume. Then we headed over to my friend Cullen’s neighborhood to meet up with people.
That’s all for now!

I know it’s been awhile since I last wrote, but now I can because I have time to kill.
Late in August I started my freshmen year of high school. It’s been really exciting and challenging. I like it so much more than junior high. Junior high dealt too much with feelings and court systems. High school you have a little more freedom and you’re not writing about feelings. I’m taking Biology I, Topics and World Civ, English, Algebra I, French, and Acting. My favorites are French and acting. It’s been kind of tough to keep up with my schoolwork and soccer, but I manage.
One weekend a couple weeks after school started, I went to my friend Christian’s beach house. My friend Lili also came. We drove to the beach Friday and Saturday was spent at the beach and shopping and hanging out in the village. We also spent some time watching Disney movies. Saturday night we had a shrimp boil which was as usual tasty.
I’ve spent most of my time going to school, doing homework, soccer, and hanging out with Christian. Lately we’ve been watching a lot of Disney movies and listening to music from the movies. Our favorite movies are The Lion King and Peter Pan. This past weekend we watched a bunch of Disney movies at Christian’s house. The day before he had gotten his wisdom teeth out.
On the weekends I’ve also been going to Athens to either watch a football game or attend one. I went to the Alabama game but that was a disappointment.
I’ll be writing another post next week if I get the chance.

It’s been a while since I last wrote so I thought you deserved an update. Two weeks ago I spent some time at my grandparents house. First I had a dentist appointment and then Daddy had to go back home to finish up an issue of Beatlefan. He came back Thursday and we went to go visit our hold haunts. Borders, Hodgson’s pharmacy, which still has a soda fountain, and we had lunch with Uncle Jon at Allen’s. Allen’s is a hamburger type place that originally was in Normal town. That night we went to Wow, a wings joint. We met Uncle Jon there to play trivia. The rules said “one team per table.” The only flaw with that rule is that they allowed people to push three tables together. We did a pretty good job in the first couple of rounds but then a question came up about school. It said, “What branch of geometry deals with sines and cosines?” I said trigonometry and Uncle Jon started to write down the answer but then said that it might be Euclidian. We changed the answer and when they told us the answer it ended up being trigonometry!
Next day Daddy and I went downtown to do some shopping. We had lunch at The Grill another Hamburger type place. We visited one of our regular stores called The Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother. I found a metal sign that had a picture from The Andy Griffith Show on it. It was a little bent so I told the salesperson about it and instead of paying $12 I paid $5. The first store we went to was The University of Georgia Bookstore. I got some school supplies and a shirt. Daddy bought some shorts and a few shirts.
Saturday we made another trip to Borders and we waited for Bill to come so we could help him move into his new house. Bill had just come home from Washington the night before. Daddy and I also toured his old high school. We just drove around and he pointed out where things used to be and what’s been added. They actually have a sign that still says Athens High Trojans next to the Clarke Central sign. I actually have a charm for a charm bracelet that has the letters “AHS” except that I keep it on a necklace and not a bracelet. We left Athens later that day.
Last week I didn’t really do a lot because my friend Christian was out of town. I did go and buy books for school. That was actually kind of fun because I got to see some of my friends who I hadn’t seen all summer.
Of course during the last two weeks I was watching the Olympics non-stop. I watched as many sports as I could. Of course the big ones were swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, and diving. I kept track of what I watched and how many times I watched it. I ended up watching twenty- three sports. I didn’t watch the opening ceremony because I was with my friend Christian. I’m glad I didn’t watch them. The U.S team looked really stupid in their Ralph Lauren outfits. That was a bad decision. I saw every race that Michael Phelps swam and most of the beach volleyball games. It was very exciting to watch the races and I was always jumping up and down when he was swimming in a final. I also saw Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh be the first beach volleyball team to be a double gold medalist. My favorite athletes are Michael Phelps, Dara Torres, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Luikin, Kerry Walsh, Misty May-Treanor, Jason Lezak, and Aaron Piersol. I’m very excited to see the London Olympics. They will be in 2012 and I will be eighteen. So I’m hoping that I will get to go to London (hint, hint).
I did watch the closing ceremony and I liked it so much better than what I had seen of the opening ceremony. Everyone was relaxed and it looked like they were having fun. But yet again the American slipped up with their uniforms. They looked really stupid and whoever chose Ralph Lauren to design them made a huge mistake.
This past Saturday I spent the day with my youth group at Lake Sinclair. It was raining on and off most of the day but we still went swimming and boat riding when it wasn’t raining. The rest of the time we played board games and read gossip magazines. Everyone wanted to look at mine because I had the issue of Us weekly that had Shawn Johnson and Nastia Luikin on the cover. I had a lot of fun and I actually can’t wait till Sunday school starts again.
Today I went to orientation at my school. It was kind of boring but I did get to catch up with friends and I saw Christian since he got back from England on Friday. I’m kind of disappointed in the fact that most of my close friends are not in any of my classes. But I’m just going to have to deal with it.
I’ll update you in a few days about school.

A lot has happened since I last posted so I thought I should update you on the latest in Livvy World.
First off last Saturday I went shopping with my mom since it was Tax Free weekend. I got a couple of dresses, a few nice tops, some jeans, a pair of shoes, and I bought myself a coat. The coat was kind of expensive but totally worth it. While I was at the mall I got my ears pierced. It hurt for the first few seconds but then I cleaned them and it stopped hurting. I also bought a few pairs of earrings for when I can change my earrings.
On Sunday I went to go see “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” It was okay. I like the first movie in the trilogy best. The problem I had with this one is that you didn’t really get to know the characters. Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell was kind of a disappointment. Maria Bello replaced Rachel Weisz as Evelyn and I think that she overplayed Evelyn’s ability to fight someone. My favorite part of the movie was when Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li had an awesome duel. It made up for the character problems. This is a movie I wouldn’t mind seeing again but I don’t think I will be asking for this for Christmas. I give it a B-.
I’m right now working from a new computer that we just bought. It’s an Imac and I set it up by myself and installed Microsoft Office myself. My Dad says that I’m a little “Technobuddy.”
I went to the eye doctor today to get a new prescription. I also picked out new frames for my glasses. My old glasses are broken and as my Dad says ”There doll glasses!” I’m excited because I’m also going to get fit for contacts.
On August 12th I’m going to Athens Ga for a dentist appointment and to spend a few days at my Grandparents house. Dad and I will go shopping and have lunch with my uncle Jon. We will also be helping my brother move into his new house. He will be starting his second year of Graduate school.
That’s the end of my update! Please feel free to comment.

It’s been a busy three weeks movie wise. So I’m writing to catch up on informing you and so people will stop nagging me.
I started off with seeing the new version of “Journey to the center of the Earth.” It was pretty good. I may not buy it on DVD but it was a good comparison to the original 1959 version. Brendan Fraser, Anita Briem, and Josh Hutcherson make up the core of the cast and they do an okay job. The only problem is that instead of them working to get to the center of the earth, they fell through a volcanic tube and landed there in five seconds. Just a little cheap. Later that night my Dad and I watched the original version with Pat Boone and James Mason. After it was over Dad asked me which version I preferred and I immediately picked the original. The original version did have some cheesy parts but the story definitely had a body.
Next movie I saw was one I had been waiting for since last year. The cast was phenomenal with Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Aaron Eckhart. If you haven’t guessed by now I saw “The Dark Knight.” I first saw it Friday night with my friend Christian and then I saw it again Saturday morning with my Dad. Twice in seventeen hours. I thought this Batman movie was fantastic. Some parts did make me wiggle in my chair (The pencil scene). First time I saw it Maggie Gyllenhaal bothered me for some reason. Second time she was much better. Heath Ledgers performance as the Joker was amazing. He definitely deserves a posthumous Oscar. He portrayed him like no one else could. Heath Ledger made it so the Joker was creepy, psychotic, and ruthless. He did what no one else could do. I was reading IMDb and on the trivia page, it said that Heath Ledger lived alone in a hotel room alone for a month to prepare for this character to get the posture, the mind, and the voice. He took this character seriously and sadly it cost him his life. Christian Bale was much better as Batman this time then in “Batman Begins.” The problem with the first one was that they spent half the movie setting up his story before they got to anything good. I talked to my brother after I went to see “The Dark Knight”, and he said, “It was the Batman movie I always wanted.” If he can give it that kind of response then I know its good. He grew up with Jack Nicholson as the Joker and lets just say it didn’t measure up.
The final movie I saw this last weekend was “The X Files: I Want to Believe.” It was great to see Mulder and Scully back together since I watched the show when I was little. The movie brought back memories of storylines and characters that they used in the show. Caves filled with green goop, Mulder being abducted, and of course how could we forget Skinner. The tough but faithful boss. He believed Mulder and Scully but it took a little evidence to rope him in. In the new movie it touched on everything. Mulder and Scully’s relationship, Mulder’s sister, William, Mulder’s trial, and the supernatural. It was a great mix and it fit together perfectly.

Kit Kittredge

I saw the new Kit movie this weekend. I enjoyed the movie even though Abigail Breslin looked a little odd in a blond wig. The director did a pretty good job of following the books. Except for a few details. First off in the original six books, Kit doesn’t have a tree house. She dreams about one but it isn’t built until one of the little tiny books. Then in the books Kit’s dad doesn’t leave for Chicago. But I see why they changed it. To show how much she misses her dad and how hard things can get for the family when he isn’t there.
I liked that they included a mystery for Kit to solve. It keeps with what American Girl is now doing with putting out mysteries for each of the girls. I have read all of the Kit mysteries that have come out and they’re really good.
My recommendation is that this movie is great for girls to see. But boys on the other hand might not enjoy the movie and then make fun of it.

I saw the new Pixar movie Wall-E. It was really good and well worth the money. It’s a film made for the whole family, but my friend Christian and I noticed it had a dark undertone. I’ve got evidence to back it up.
1. The planet has been abandoned because it’s covered in trash and uninhabitable. Scientists talking about what will happen if we don’t take action.
2. A giant corporation took over. Only instead of Walmart it’s Buy N’ Large. Same thing.
3. In space everyone was spoiled so they were overweight and couldn’t walk. America today has major health problems.
Of course you could only notice this stuff if you were a lot older and knew what was going on. Little kids wouldn’t notice because they’ll be too distracted by Wall-E’s curiosity and loyalty to EVE. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pixar made Wall-E there new icon instead of the lamp that hops out and smashes the “I” in Pixar.
I love this movie because it was different from all of Pixar’s other work. It was so much better than Cars! You can’t really relate to Wall-E but you find that you can’t stop watching because you have to see how he ends up saving the day. This movie reminded me of another fantastic creation from last year. Ratatouille was another wonderful movie and even though it’s targeted towards people who love France, everyone can enjoy it because people love characters that are mice or rats. The second Chronicles of Narnia movie is an example. People were thrilled when they introduced the mouse.
Please feel free to comment or ask questions.

It's been a busy three weeks since I've written. I was away at camp for the last two and then before that I was catching up with friends.
On June 14 I saw the new "Incredible Hulk" movie with two of friends. It was a really good movie and definitely worth seeing. It doesn't top "Iron Man" but it is so much better than the 2003 version. I thought Liv Tyler did a good job as Betty and I thought that William Hurt was a good choice as the general. I was also thrilled to see Tony Stark make a cameo. It was going to be a surprise but someone let the cat out of the bag.
Two Days later I left for camp. I went to Camp Juliette Low in Cloudland Georgia. It isn’t a Girl Scout camp. Juliette low founded it but then the board of trustees severed ties with the Girl Scouts and became a camp for all girls. I was very excited to stay for two weeks and I had so much fun swimming, diving, and making new friends. We had All Camp Day, which is where the units compete in different categories. I competed in diving, freestyle form, and two freestyle races. Both of which I placed second in.
After I got back home I saw the movie “Get Smart” with Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell. I thought it was hilarious. But at some points I thought they were laying the jokes on a little too much. I’ve never seen the original show but I do recognize the shoe phone. I still have to catch up on a few movies that came out while I was away. Wall-E I have to see with my friends. I may see “Love Guru” but of course with other people.
Please feel free to comment or ask questions.

I'm in the last few days of school and it's going to drive me insane! Everyone I know who doesn't go to Paideia has been out of school for a week or more. But at least all we do in class is watch foreign films. Today we started to watch "Bend It Like Beckham." It's one of my favorite movies and I know most of the dialogue by heart. Wednesday we get to have our pool party and a little "graduation" thing for the eighth graders. I'm defintely ready for high school. Partly because I'm ready to move on from writing about my feelings and partly because I want to get older so I can learn how to drive a car. Only bad thing about summer is that I won't get to see all of my friends.

This past weekend I went to St. Simons Island with Christian, Cullen, Christian’s brother Bert and Christian’s parents. Both his brother and dad are named Bert. Christian’s brother Bert picked us up after school Friday. We then picked up Melinda, Christian’s mom at the airport. Later that night while we were still on the interstate, the car got a flat tire. Luckily Bert knew how to fix a tire. But instead of a five-hour drive it took seven hours.
Next day we went to the beach for most of the morning. We were riding our bikes back to the house when all of a sudden Christian had paused to turn and then didn’t tell me. I ended up crashing into him and flying off my bike. Cullen who was behind me then accidentally rode over my leg. I was in a lot of pain and covered in dirt. Definitely not a great way to start out the weekend.
That night Christian, Cullen, and I went to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. We didn’t get out of the movie until late. When we got home, we then ate dinner even though it was ten-thirty at night. Christian and Cullen were being really annoying and I was really cranky because I only slept for four hours. I also called my brother because it was his birthday and I wasn’t with him.
Sunday we spent six hours at the beach and I met some of Bert and Melinda’s friends. Keith and Chris Graham. Keith had worked with my dad at the AJC. We played Bocce and I won. After we went home and changed, Bert, Melinda, Keith, Chris, Bert, and I all went to a Jazz concert outside the lighthouse. Christian and Cullen decided to walk home from the Village. It’s a long walk and it took them about two hours to get back home. Later we watched a funny movie called “Best in Show.”
Monday came and after we went to lunch, Christian’s brother Bert left to go back to Atlanta. That afternoon we had a Bocce tournament, which my team won. Bert and Melinda went out later that night while Christian, Cullen, and I stayed home and watched “Across the Universe.”
Tuesday we packed all of our stuff up so we could spend more time on Jekyll. On Jekyll we went to the beach for a while and then went to one of our favorite places called Bone yard beach. Bone yard beach is a place where lots of trees have died and are great for climbing on. We were originally going to leave at five but we didn’t get back from Jekyll until six because Christian had wandered off somewhere but it turned out he was saving a sea turtle.
I love going to the beach with Christian and I hope to go back this summer. As Christian’s parents put it “I’m the daughter they never had.”
If you have any comments please feel free to post.

I just saw the new Indiana Jones movie tonight. I thought it was really good and definitely worth seeing more than once. I do have a few qualms about the movie but they're small. first off Indiana has always been witty and humorous and I thought that in this movie it was piled up in the beginning. The lines were right on top of each other. Next I think that they could've done without some of the cheesy scenes. If you see the movie you'll know what I'm talking about. Shia LeBeouf did a pretty good job playing Mutt Williams/Henry Jones III. Only sometimes I wanted to grab his comb and break it into two pieces.
Personally I have had a hard time deciding if this movie is better than "Temple of Doom." Many people who I have talked to don't like it because of the whole idea about the cult was "kind of lame." I love the second film and I'm in the minority along with my friend Christian's brother Bert. He likes the movie and we both think that the second movie is a great movie. But it doesn't beat "Raiders of the Lost Ark." No Indiana Jones movie can beat the original. I give this a four out of five stars. If you would like to comment please feel do.