Peanut Butter Panic

It's a well documented fact that I love peanut butter. Too much. I would eat it with just about anything if it had the possibility of tasting good, and as a result of my obsession I've decided to blog about my peanut butter adventures.  So without further ado, we will begin blogging peanut butter.

FIRST MEAL:
Today I tried something I'd seen on the internet before and had been wanting to try for a while; the peanut butter and banana quesodilla. I got out my frying pan, butter, tortilla, banana and peanut butter and got to work on this masterpiece.  I liberally slather peanut butter on anything and everything, completely ignoring the recommended serving size and basically just using peanut butter until I think there's enough.  I was feeling especially creative so I threw a few raisins in that tortilla and popped it on the stove.  Unfortunately this is where the problems started.

Peanut butter melts SO FAST. Even in it's room temperature state it's liquidy and goopy, so add a few extra degree's and you've got peanut butter melting all over the frying pan.  Hastily I turned the tortilla over and peanut butter would spray the pan, burning everywhere. Luckily I was able to keep most of the peanut butter in the tortilla and, by some divine skill, managed to keep the tortilla intact long enough for it to turn a nice golden color. At that point I started eating.

First off, I don't recommend the raisins. A part of me forgot I put them in the quesodilla, so when I took my first bite and it tasted a bit tough and gummy, it was an unwelcome surprise to my mouth and a sensory overload.  Other than that the sandwich itself was pretty good, but the tortilla didn't taste like something that was meant to be stuffed with sweet treats. By the end of the meal I was relatively satisfied, but my hands were covered in melted peanut butter mess because of well, the whole melted peanut butter thing. Probably won't do this again soon, it gave me a peanut butter heart attack.

Yay stay tuned!

Shameless advertising.

Hello lack of blog readers! Today I'm here to self-promote my other blog "Stuck in the Middle" why do I have two blogs you ask? well that's simple enough, it's because my journalism teacher made me do it! I wasn't allowed to use my already made and incredibly popular blog, so if you want to read about my unfortunate life as a middle child, check it out!

How NOT to start off vacay: Part 2

Two posts in two days! I'm on fire!

So lets just say this is a continuation of part 1, and that before you fell asleep, thinking of blood loss and brain damage, you had allowed your friends to play with your phone, iPod, and camera because well, you're not using them and they asked nicely to look at the photos from your European vacation.  At that point if you're standing over a sink, letting the blood poor out of your finger and waiting for the end, and one of your friends comes and nervously says: "umm Caroline?" the conversation should go as follows:
"Yeah?"
"I don't know what happened, I'm sorry"
"What are you talking about?"
"I was looking at your camera"
attempts to block blood flow "Uh-huh"
"And I don't know what happened"
Finally looks up for wound "What happened?"
"I don't know, the camera shut off and said all your photos were gone"
"Oh."
"I don't know what happened"
Now, Before you wail on your friend and release a whole world of flupping grief on them take a step back.  It would look bad if you, a screaming bloody mess, started in on your friend on the first night of a week at the beach, not to mention you're 95% they actually don't know what happened and are sad about it.  Politely say it's okay, you don't blame them, then blame the tears now flowing down your face on the wound you've received, not the loss of the memories from your family vacation (in hindsight you should have uploaded them before you left for the beach).  Smile, tell them it doesn't matter, then cry yourself quietly to sleep (you wouldn't want to wake up any other guests!)

Besides, your sister did save a few gems

How NOT to start off vacay: Part 1

Like I promised I'm back with my little nuggets of wisdom, and this particular nugget comes from personal experience.
When going on vacation with your friends, try not to be too much of a bother.  Be polite, courteous, and most importantly, don't hemorrhage all over their house.
For example, if you are a silly child like myself, you will pack your shaving razor in your suitcase without any protection around it.  Not in toiletries bag or in a separate pocket, just lying in wait for your big mistake.  After making this first mistake, you will inevitably jam your hand into your bag and accidentally slice off a decent portion of your figure.  Yelling FLUP at the top of your lungs as you realise your fatal error.  Running to the bathroom, have the decency to politely tell your host that by no fault of their own, you are bleeding to death and may require some first aid.  Silently complain aloud to the nearest person that "it's really no big deal, I just wish it would stop bleeding".  If, as happened to me, the bleeding doesn't stop after two hours, you can start to panic a little.
That paranoid feeling you have that you're losing too much blood has a little bit of ground now and you can suggest to your friend that they wake up an adult who totally knows what to do in this situation.  If said adult looks baffled and apprehensive about your imminent death, it's appropriate to feel a little scared, while politely declining their offer to take you to the emergency room because you know it's rude to make someone drive you at 12 am to get one stitch and besides, your parents definitely don't want to receive your call at 1 am asking for your medical information.  Just suck it up and stifle the wound with layers and layers of bandages, then go to sleep and pray that you don't die of shock or blood loss over night, because that would be a huge inconvenience to your host, removing your dead body and all.

More Advice to come!

A Wee Little Review of an Epic Finale

Again, I fail to live up to my word, but in my defense there was too much for me to write on this glorious subject, and I was at a real live Huckleberry Frolic which of course to precedent.  SO, here comes my review. In a word, the movie was BRILLIANT. Seriously, if you haven't see it yet you are flupping crazy and should find the nearest theatre as soon as humanly possible.

Since there are many many MANY reviews online I will keep mine brief.  I loved the movie and thought it was a great way to end the series. It was crazy good, action-packed, and never boring for a second.  Most importantly, they nailed all the scenes that are pivotal in the book, and omitted relatively few things (except the house elves attack, which definelty should have stayed in the script). Alan Rickman deserves an Oscar for his Snape, because after all these years, who knew he could deliver more than a deadpan? Furthermore, the Prince's Tale and Resurrection Stone scenes were depressing, which made them perfect.  I laughed, I cried, I screamed, and I nervously giggled when Voldemort hugged Draco (arguably the best scene in the entire movie).  In fact, it's only been out a week and I've seen it three times, (no judgement) yet it still doesn't get old.  Even the epilogue, which was awkward and weird in the book, feels right in the movie.  Deathly Hallows Part 2. wraps up the series we know and love beautifully, and I couldn't have asked for a better send off.

1: Proper Potter Premiere Protocol

Well kiddies, we've made it this far, and tomorrow is the day that we put all these tactics into practice.  Get your coffee thermos ready and your boyfriend pillow fluffy, because tomorrow you will be, for all intents and purposes, camping out in a movie theatre.  I will try and post a little something early in the morning and on the 15th about my movie premiere experience.  I have one last little gem to impart to you before tomorrow, and if you've been reading this the past thirty days, thank you for giving me more views than I thought possible.

15.  Just enjoy yourself! To be honest, I've never had more fun seeing a movie than I do when I go to one of the premieres.  The energy level is insane.  People laugh, cry, and cheer at the right moments in the movie, making it all the more fun.  Join in with them! Cheer when you want to, get really into it, milk it for all it's worth because after all, its only a two hour movie, and the last time you will have a chance to do this.  If you've been with the Harry Potter series as long as I have, you'll want this last time to be the BEST time as well. When its all over, at 2AM, you'll most likely walk out of the theatre in a daze, thinking "that was it"  all cheesiness aside, you've already waited in line for the entire day, so make the most of it and enjoy Harry Potter for one last time.

Props to this chica for continuously letting me
exploit her in photos

Thanks for reading!

2

The final fact in my Harry Potter countdown ever.

Rowling has made a statement that after the books ended and before the time period of the epilogue, Hermione was the only member of the trio who returned to Hogwarts to complete her 7th year, she then ended up working for the ministry as a higher up in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  Even though Ron and Harry didn't go back for their final year, Rowling has said they both became very skilled Auror's and Harry became the department head. yayyyy loose ends!

3: Proper Potter Premiere Protocol

14. Naturally we are starting to get down to the nitty gritty facts.  I've already given you every fact I can think of concerning the night itself in overview, from when to get there, where to sit, what to wear, who to bring, and why I'm right.  Finally, the question you so desperately want to ask but are too uncomfortable to mention...."what about the bathroom?"

I want you to be her^

That is a good question and I'm happy you got up the courage to ask it! My advice for this is simple, avoid it at all costs.  Not so much that you're about to explode during the movie, but try to avoid your bladder reaching full capacity before the movie even starts.  Go to the bathroom during previews, then, if you still want to guzzle down that large Dr. Pibb you ordered, PACE YOURSELF.  The faster you drink it the more you'll have to go to the bathroom.  If you sip it like a delicate lady, than you will take on the persona of a delicate lady, who only needs to go to the bathroom at convenient times for everyone (see next month for my "steps on being a delicate lady" blog).  If you absolutely have to go to the bathroom, if your need to go becomes so urgent that you can't pay attention to the movie anymore, than wait for a not so pivotal scene.  For example, I was faced with this conundrum during the first movie, waited for the right time, and sprinted out to the bathroom during a long sequence scene of Ron being angry and the glorious English countryside, i didn't miss ANYTHING!

You may even have time for a casual mirror

So, if you have to go to the bathroom during the movie, you are already at an advantage because you read the book, and when the moment hits that a scene is miss-able, run for the bathroom, then run back as fast as possible.

Well I hope this was informative, if not sufficiently awkward for you to read and me to write.  But hey, the more you knowww....

3 quote

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, theb attle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

4

This is a short little one, but I like it all the same.

Along the same lines as my Dean/Gary Thomas fact, when Rowling was brainstorming what to name Voldemort's followers, she came up with a name that she thought would work nicely.  No, it was not Death Eaters, but Knights of Walpurgis.

All I can say is, I'm glad she changed her mind

4 quote

"I don't want anyone else to try to help. It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

5: Proper Potter Premiere Protocol

Only 3 more Premiere tips left before the ultimate test begins...

Or you can bring your own snackies

13.  As you're now settled in and comfortable as the most popular person in theatre, its probably 10 or 10:30 so you still have a ways to go.  All that singing and dancing and rolling has taken a lot of energy and you're probably unsure of what your next move shall be.  Your stomach grumbles and the tantalizing smell of popcorn overwhelms your senses.  You WANT to go get some, but wonder just how long that line actually is.  Like wise, you've been fueling your body on junk food and coffee all day, so you don't really want to keep the heavy spending going well into the wee hours of the night.  My advice, and it may seem a little risky, is wait until one of the very last moments possible, right before you think the previews will start.  By then you'll have enough time to consider if you REALLY want popcorn or if you just think you do because of the atmosphere, and you can easily check the line and decide whether or not to wait.  Chances are, the closer you get to showtime, the less people will be in line and the quicker you can get through it.  That way you have popcorn during the movie instead of two hours before!

5 quote

"I'd tell him [Harry] we're all with him in spirit, and to follow his instincts, which are good and nearly always right." 

6

Less than a week...

Ever wonder what the Hogwarts staff does during the holidays? We already know Snape has a house in London where he stays in the summer, and if he does, than who else does as well? According to Rowling, the only permanent residence of Hogwarts are Dumbledore, Filch, and Hagrid (those three would have fun summer nights...) while the rest of the staff can go home to their families and spouses.  Spouses? It never crossed my mind Professor Sprout could be Mrs. Sprout...

Mind blowing, they are normal people (except for being wizards)

6 quote

 "I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be."

7: Proper Potter Premiere Protocol

7 days, 1 week, 7 horcruxes, it is also July 7th. if it was 2007 my mind would be blown.  But it isn't so the fun  stops at 7/7/11

12. Now that you've gotten yourself perfectly settled in the theatre, it is probably around 9:30, which means you only have 2 and a half hours left until the end.  (time has flown by hasn't it?).  Now is your chance to really shine! the level of excitement is already at epic proportions, and it is your job as the coolest person in the theatre to make sure that level stays up.  Most people will be friendly and interactive, so use this to your advantage and start a riot. Now, when I say riot, I don't mean pitchforks and torches, I mean music and wands! Every self respecting potter fan at the premiere will be well versed in the pop-culture surrounding the books, including the youtube sensations that have been created as a result.  I recommend assigning the theatre different parts in the hit youtube phenomenon "The Mysterious Ticking Noise".  People will go CRAY CRAY for you, trust me, and don't you always strive to be the best? 

7 quote

Sassy Witch

" Why is it, that whenever anything happens, it's always you three?" More questions that need answering in Half-Blood Prince props to Mcgonagall for asking those tough questions.

8

Your animagus form is a direct reflection of your personality traits, Sirius turns into a dog because he is loyal, Rita Skeeter turns into a beetle probably because she "bugs" people, McGonogall turns into a cat because she is sharp, and Peter Pettigrew turns into a rat because he is one. (haha...jokes)

WTF

BOOM.

8 quote

"Times like these, dark times, they do funny things to people. They can tear them apart." There's a first time for everything, and that applies even today as I chose a quote that wasn't said by Dumbledore or Hagrid, but by Arthur Weasley in Half-Blood Prince.

9 quote

"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more." Hamming it up on the Dumbledore quotes in Half-Blood Prince before, well I can't use Dumbledore quotes anymore...