Rave Motion Pictures

I have some great news...Rave Motion Pictures is opening up a new theater in Katy, Texas!!! For those of you that don't know how wonderful these theaters are let me bend your ear for a minute. Rave is a small but booming company that opens up very few theaters in Texas. They have had only three in Texas for a long time. When I was attending University of North Texas, the Rave was the first thing that I noticed when driving into to town. I remember seeing the theater and thinking that it looked like a neat place.

Throughout my college years at UNT my friends and I constantly trekked out to Rave. Many a times we would drive out there without a clue what we were going to see...and once there we would see the next decent movie that was going to start soon. We all preferred the Rave to those other competitors like Cinemark or AMC. We thought of it as our own and truly have fond memories of it. There isn't a time that I don't think about the Rave when I reflect on the good days of college.

Now, on November 17, 2005 a new Rave Motion Pictures theater will open its doors in Katy, Texas. I am beyond excited about this news. Yeah!!!

Another Blog Challenge by Jacque - Accepted

My college roommate, Jacque, has challenged me to answer 40 questions of varying degrees of difficulty about myself. I have bravely accepted this challenge and am posting it here for all of you to see. I dedicate this post to Jacque, who always inspires me to keep trying harder...and at times asks those life-altering questions like, "What is a spork?" Here we go:

1. What is your occupation/job? Administrative Assistant/Event Planner (recently have taken on my co-worker's job as well while she is in the hospital).
2. What color is your underwear? at the moment I am wearing tan, lace hiphuggers
3. What was the last thing you ate? last night I had a salad that I made (yum)
4. Do you wish on stars? I used to, but never really believed. Now-a-days I pray.
5. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? I'm going to have to steal Jacque's answer to this one and say: the BRIGHTEST one in the box.
6. How is the weather right now? sunny with a little bit of a cool breeze (altogether nice for days out in the park)
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? I'm at work, so it was someone that wanted to speak to Pat Kelley (he's a UNT alum)
8. Do you like the person that sent this to you? Of course, that was a dumb question. Besides you only have to read the little dedication above and you can figure out the answer to this one all by yourself. Besides, ain't she cute!
9. Would you say no and send this back to him/her? Why would I do that...and miss out on all the fun of taking the chance of utterly exposing my inner self to random people online. Besides, I never bow down to a challenge.
10. How old are you today? 25
11. Favorite drink? Well, when I was allowed to have sugar I always enjoyed a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks; but now I enjoy water all the time (the stuff of life).
12. Favorite sport to watch? My favorite sport to watch is football. I am always a fan of the hometeam (or my school, UNT). I love all kinds of sports, but football is the most exciting to watch (especially live).
13. Have you ever dyed your hair? it's called highlights...do you think I could naturally have brown, blonde, and red streaking through my hair in perfect unison.
14. Do you wear contacts or glasses? I wear contacts all the time. I have a pair of glasses for emergency days when my contacts just won't go in.
15. Pets? none at the time...but I want a dog, dogs are cool, they're your friend, and they always slobber on you just when you need confirmation that you're loved.
16. Favorite month? I would have to say November. I like Thanksgiving, the weather starts to get really nice in Houston, and there is my birthday (yeah!).
17. Favorite food? Sushi, Fondue, and Seafood (really there are way too many delectable dishes out there for me to narrow it done...I'm an adventurous eater that is willing to try almost anything)
18. What was the last movie you watched? "The Greatest Game ever Played" the movie about golf
19. Favorite day of the year? June 1st, the day my sister gave me a new kidney.
20. What do you do to vent? I usually try to relax in a bath, listen to soothing music, or read a good book.
21. What was your favorite toy as a child? I didn't really have a favorite...I went from toy to toy. Although I do remember enjoying my lite brite a lot.
22. Fall or Spring? Fall
23. Hugs or Kisses? Depends on the person I'm getting them from...
24. Cherry or Blueberry? Cherry
25. Do you want your friends to email you back? I always appreciate an email from my friends, they bring me joy.
26. Who is most likely to respond? Normally I would say Jacque, but she has already finished this challenge. But she always responds to all of my emails.
27. Who is least likely to respond? I'm not sure...people are busy and I understand that
28. Living arrangements? Currently residing with my parents. I want to desperately move out on my own, but my job does not provide me with the funds necessary to make that move. Also, my kidney transplant was not a cheap venture on my part (life throws you curve balls, and you try your best to hit 'em out of the park).
29. When was the last time you cried? Friday, last week. I found out that my Grandma was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and given 4-6 weeks to live.
30. What is on the floor of your closet? Lots and lots of shoes...Shoes are an indulgence that I have to watch and be mindful of when I go shopping. Shoes can be the finishing touch of any outfit that make it go from fine to fabulous!
31. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Chris - she currently resides in Pennsylvania. She is a sweetheart through and through; I will always be able to talk to her and confide in her about all things.
32. What did you do last night? I got home, ate dinner, and then went to the gym to swim laps. Once I got home the rest of the evening was pretty boring compared to most people...just the usual getting ready for bed stuff and going to sleep early so I can get up early for work. Let's not all get too excited now!
33. What are you afraid of? being alone
34. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? I'm gonna answer cheese; but I have to ask "What the heck is a spicy hamburger?"
35. Favorite car? I have to go with my new car: 2003 Lincoln Aviator (although the new 2006 models are nice, I love my new baby - she's pimp).
36. Favorite dog breed? I love all dogs; but I am partial to big dogs. I think Great Danes and St. Bernards are so cool.
37. Number of keys on your keyring? five-three for the many doors to my house, my sister's house key, and my car
38. How many years at your current job? On November 20th I will have officially been here for 1 year. Time for a raise...
39. Favorite day of the week? I would have to say Friday. Although you still have to work, it's my easiest day on the job and there is all those anticipatory feelings about the upcoming weekend and the activities you are planning. It's full of promise and joy.
40. How many states have you lived in? A total of three. I was born and raised in Texas, but we had this one summer when my father was transferred to California (and since we were only there one summer you can see that it didn't last). Finally, I lived in Florida for one and a half to two years as I went to school. I miss the closeness of the beach that I had there...beaches are so serene.

So there you have it...Forty questions and forty answers. I challenge anyone reading this to take this survey. It's easy, fun, and think of how popular it will make you with all of your friends. I mean who doesn't love getting a forwarded email.

We're Going to the World Series!

I kept the faith. Like every Astros fan in Houston today I am on cloud nine. My joy cannot be contained!! I walk around with a silly grin on my face. People ask, "How are you today?" and I have to answer, "This is probably one of the best days of my life." I watched the game last night with each and every inning passing by, and the Astros got closer and closer to winning. My heart leapt with glee as that last hit was caught and we were going to the World Series. Oh, how I wish I could have been among those guys...Celebrating with them.

Great sights were seen among the players as they congratulated each other and enjoyed the moment of being on top of the world. Berkman was hugged by his teammates many times over for his amazing effort that made a lot of this possible. Biggio and Bagwell were interviewed by reporters about the long wait that they have both had to get to this point in their careers. They are legends that have been faithful to the Astros and have had amazing careers in Houston. Oswalt took the honor of the MVP with and accepted it with dignity and grace (while his teammates drenched him in champagne). It truly was a night to remember. Houstonians cheered, kids danced in the streets, and dogs howled...Everyone was celebrating! I've been a fan of the Astros for as long as I can remember. I have fond memories of going to the Dome and watching them play from the top tiers (the tickets were cheap back then). I learned the players as I got older and learned about the rules of the game. It never bothered me when they lost because all that mattered was the faithfulness to the team. Now, Houston gets its just reward for many years of waiting by the sideline.

Here we come Chicago...We're bringing this one home.

A let down by Lidge

Last night I watched with baited breathe every inning of the 5th game in the NLCS. I went up and down on a rollercoaster of feelings as the Astros gained a run, then got behind when the Cardinals hit a home run with a runner on second, and towards the end the Astros had Berkman hit a beautiful homer with two runners out on the field, thus bringing the game to a score of 4 to 2 Astros.


Then Lidge came out for the 9th inning to close this baby down and get the Astros to the World Series for the first time in the history of the team franchise. We all thought it was over...I mean Lidge never fails. They don't call him "Lights Out" Lidge for nothing. The first two outs went as planned. Easy, 1 and 2 and they were heading back to the dugout. But then something went wrong. Lidge started to falter, and then there was a big let down. The Cardinals kept hitting and got two runners on base. I watched with fear as Pujols, the best hitter in the League, walked up to bat. Then it happened...A home run by Pujols. There we were, in the 9th inning 5 to 4 Cardinals. Lidge looked stunned and didn't know what to do. It was over...We would be going to a 6th game in the series; only this time we would play at Busch Stadium (and we all know the Astros don't fair to well when they aren't at home). I fear that this is looking way to much like last year's series. I need to keep the faith.


Now I have a new boy on the pitching team that I have put my faith in, and his name is Brandon Backe. Backe is a young one, but he is already a starting pitcher for the Astros. He was born and raised in Galveston (which is a good thing) and has always dreamed of playing for his home team. He has managed to play some pretty flawless games so far this postseason, so I have decided to back Backe. I have noticed that he is also a great motivator for the rest of the team. He has been caught on tape many times telling his teammates how good they are going to do, or giving high fives and words of encouragement (what a nice guy). I watched last night as he was caught bouncing up and down let a giddy school boy as the 9th inning drama unfolded before him; and a World Series run was being dangled in front of his young career. He's kind of funny looking...But I like him!

The Timelessness of The Princess Bride

Let's discuss the true wonderfulness that is The Princess Bride. For all of you that have had the pleasure of seeing this movie, then you know what I am trying to convey. There is something about this movie that transcends age, gender, genre, and time. Like the beginning of the movie says, "are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes..." It's not just a kissing story.

I recently had the chance to read the book that this movie was based on. What surprised me was the sarcasm and wit that is so unique to this movie is in the book practically word for word.
It amazes me that someone wrote this almost a hundred years earlier and managed to be sarcastic. I recommend the book to anyone that loves the movie (there is so much background in it that adds to the experience).

One of the best things about The Princess Bride is its quoteableness (I'm not sure if that's even a word). There are many lines that simply begged to be used in
everyday conversation. For example, "Humperdinck, Humperdinck, Humperdinck!" or "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for awhile." But my favorite is, "Life is pain, Highness! Anyone who says differently is selling something."

What is your favorite quote? Do you have one that you use regularly? Or maybe there is another classic movie that you always quote in your everyday conversations. Tell me...I want to know.