Top 5 Movies

I definitely have to preface this year's movie list by telling you that I did not watch movies much this year. At least, not the ones that were released in 2011. I caught up on a lot of old ones I hadn't seen. Last year's list didn't include anything from December 2010; this year's doesn't include anything from November or December of this year. Oh well.

5. Bridesmaids

I actually didn't like this movie as much as I thought I would based on what everyone else was saying. I mean, I laughed, but not as hysterically as I was expecting. What I did like about it, and what made it a top 5 movie for me, was the relationship between Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph's characters, and the problems that arise for both of them with the introduction of Rose Byrne's character. It felt very real. It's hard to be friends as adult women sometimes.

4. Black Swan

Natalie Portman is one of my favorite actresses and seeing her in this role was pretty awesome. It was fun to watch her lose it in that way. There's the question of what was really going on in the movie, i.e. sexual abuse by the mother? Mila Kunis's character: exists or imaginary? How much of the movie was actually happening or was hallucinated?, and by this time, you surely know I like movies that make you question things. Darren Aronofsky, who directed this movie, does that really well. I left the movie with no definitive idea of what had actually happened, and I like that. On second, later, viewing, I think I got a better idea of what was real and what wasn't.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Harry Potter has been a part of my life for about 15 years. Watching this movie was like a culmination of all the tears I had put into this story. There are many things I disliked about the other film versions; to be honest, there were a few things I disliked about this one. But the good outweigh the bad for this one. Over the course of the story, Neville became my favorite character. Finally getting to watch Neville become the hero - the one he could have been had Voldemort "chosen" him at birth - in the moment that he cut the snake's head off was AWESOME. Granted, I didn't like the way they changed that scene, but it was still great fun. This probably isn't a top movie for anyone who isn't a fan of the series. I get that.

2. The King's Speech

Colin Firth is incredible in this movie. I love him. Everything about this movie was awesome. See it now; I don't know what else to say about it.

1. Drive

Ryan Gosling is a god. Also, not to be confused with Drive Angry, starring the not-so-godlike Nic Cage. Drive is not a movie for everyone, but I was intensely moved by a lot of things about it. Gosling's acting was out of this world. I haven't seen The Ides of March yet, which is the one he's going to get nominated for an Oscar for, but I wish that it had come out in a different year than Drive, because he deserves a nod for this as well. The music was PERFECT. The scene in the elevator where Gosling makes out with his girl for the first time before brutally killing a guy sent to kill her was INCREDIBLE. This movie was not about driving cars; it's about what drives people, about what motivation there is behind our actions. It was interesting how much I was moved by this movie about the things that move people and then to see other people who were moved in such a different way than I was. Seriously, now I just want to go watch it.

Sort of Cool

When I was teaching, I was always trying to find really cool but still educational things for the students to do. One time, I had them try to write This I Believe essays. Go to thisibelieve.org for more information.

I had them do this while we were reading To Kill a Mockingbird, a book about morals and beliefs. I had each class choose two of their peers' essays to submit to the organization for publication. I've never heard that any of the kids had theirs published, but I think that's probably because they wouldn't think it was as awesome as I would. They did get really into it though, because of the competitive part, I'm sure.

Anyway, to help them through the process, as it is really difficult, I wrote an essay of my own with them and went through the submission process as well.

And here it is, on the This I Believe website: http://thisibelieve.org/essay/96171/

FOUND

I don't know why I couldn't find the Boston pictures before. Weird. They were right where they should have been. Anyway here's some fun pictures from when the family went up to Boston back in May for Renee's graduation.

In the Common.

Stapleton siblings have questionable graduation rituals. Admittedly, we were also playing twenty questions with our sister at the same time, and some Northeastern professors were definitely sitting at the bar next to us discussing the merits of skipping the actual ceremony.

We find Renee first.





At a bar with everyone, though obviously not everyone is pictured.


Zak redoes my "High five, Paul Revere!" photo op.

Other highlights: Holocaust memorial, which I took lots of pictures of but none of which have people in them; some blurry pictures of the actual graduation ceremony; Zak, Renee, and I visit Fenway during a baseball game and I drink Guinness for the first time since leaving Ireland...

I'm already planning how much fun being in Chapel Hill for my graduation/30th birthday party will be in 2013!

Grad School is Hard.

Dear Laina from 10 months ago,

You clearly wanted to get into Carolina. It's a good thing you like reading, writing, prezi.com, google docs, and typing. Here's hoping it stays that way, and you continue not minding working for 11 hours straight on a Sunday.

Love,

present Laina

First Day of School, First Day of School... (ala Nemo)

Okay. Let's be honest. I was NOT excited about my first day of school like Nemo was. In fact, I spent much of the time leading up to the first day wondering, seriously, whether I had made the right choice in leaving a pretty good job (read: I made money) and going back to school.

I had no idea. I rather doubted it actually.

But today, the third day of school, I remembered how much I love being a student. And I think it's going to be okay.

Okay, Daddy...

As my dad so kindly pointed out to me, my life is really not that average. So here's a quick couple of pictures from the cool stuff going on in the last 5 months or so.

Jim took his black belt test in Atlanta, so I drove down there to watch. We missed the test accidentally, but had fun hanging with Amanda nonetheless.

My friend Dan and I took students to Ireland, Wales, and England.

I kissed the Blarney Stone.

I supported my dear friends Anna and Kalyn by going to LEAF.

We had a masquerade party for my 28th birthday.

Also, Renee graduated, but for some reason I am not able to access those pictures from blogger... They're on my computer... I can see them... Alas, they remain the lost Boston pictures.

Oh yeah. I'm also moving to Chapel Hill, NC on Friday to attend UNC Chapel Hill this Fall for my master's in Library and Information Science. There's that. :)

My Life is Average

I haven't blogged recently because nothing interesting has happened to me. I suppose I could go back and talk about the things I meant to talk about way back when...

But that's just so boring.

2011 has been average to me so far.

I completed applications to some schools for a Master's Degree in Library Science.

I've read 2.5 books, with the half being Jane Eyre. When I finish it, it will be the first "classic" chick lit" book I've read since I picked up Persuasion, by Jane Austen, many moons ago. Classic chick lit and I have never been that great of friends, but I'm actually really enjoying Jane Eyre.

I managed to see almost all the movies up for major Oscars and can't wait to see how they hold up for the rest of the year and my annual year end list blogs. :)

I've been trying to keep up with working out. Seriously, though. As an average, middle class, working American, it's hard to do everything.

I've seen a couple of good concerts.

As opposed to this time last year, I have an awesome living situation and a great roommate.

I have a cool trip planned for Spring Break.

School is really rough, but it looks like we are through the snow days early this year.

That feels like it. Things may or may not start happening in my life. If they do, you'll hear more from me.