Napoleon was Dynamite

So much has happened since my last post, the funniest of which is that I saw Napoleon Dynamite on Friday.  If you are wondering if it'll be worth the $5 to see it, my answer is: HECK YES IT IS!  I started laughing right when the movie started and seriously wondered if I was ever going to be able to stop.  I thought I might have to be removed from the theater, which nearly happened only one other time:  when I saw My Girl, but that was because I was crying hysterically.  Anyway, since Matt picked the last couple of movies we saw (both of which I thought were horrible, despite the fact that I might have laughed at moments: Secret Window and The Girl Next Door), it was my turn to pick!  He went blindly into the opening night madness of Napoleon.  As a very young looking crowd began to gather outside the theater doors, he asked rather worriedly, "What is this rated?"  Oh yes, it is a PG flick!  I do think we, at 25, were the oldest movie goers there on a bustling Friday night.  We even ran into some of my students, who I was so pleased wanted to acknowledge me (they even sat next to me!!).  The movie is hilarious.  It was very confusing trying to determine what year the movie was supposed to be set in.  It had the feel of a retro early 80's movie, yet the internet and online chat rooms were often mentioned.  Also, I believe the "Happy Hands" signing club preformed a Backstreet Boys song.  I really enjoyed the fact that Napoleon's grandmother had a pet llama.  I would consider having one too, but I'm not sure if he would get along with my cats.  I had so much fun laughing even though I began to get a stomach ache!  For those of you who have seen this stellar movie, one of my favorite parts was when Napoleon called his brother and asked for his chap stick because his lips hurt so bad.  Funny stuff. 
 
I got to see another movie this week, too.  Not as funny as Napoleon Dynamtie was Anchorman.  I went down to Vero/Sebastian to see one of my favorite people ever, Kelly, on Thursday!  We had an adventurous afternoon!  On our way to the mall, we took a picture of a man directing traffic, who smiled at us!  That was fun.  Once in the mall, we got blizzards from Dairy Queen and then stood in front of the Napoleon Dynamite movie poster and cracked up for about 20 minutes.  We just stood, eating our ice cream, staring at Napoleon, and wishing that it was Friday so that we could see him.  We cruised the mall and found some light pink gangsta' shirts (that are so big that they could be worn as dresses) for only $9.99.  We considered loading up, but then came to our senses.   Then we went to see Anchorman and laughed at Will Ferrell (which is one of our favorite things to do).  Afterwards, we headed back to Kelly's house, ate some pizza, and watched all the skits we could find online of Celebrity Jeopardy from Saturday Night Live (with Will Ferrell as Alec Trebec).  It was a great day.
 
My blog will now be switching topics :)
 
Relient K is a really great and fun band.  One of my favorite lines is from their song "I Am Understood" that goes, "Sometimes the place I'm at is at a loss for words..."  I'm sure you've all been there whether it's been because of something good or bad, when words cannot begin to express what you're feeling.  For instance, when I went to visit my dear friend, Karen, in KY once and the night I arrived at her house she said, "Close your eyes."  And when I opened them, I was looking at a real life Cinderella dress that she painstakingly made just for me...just because one day I mentioned that I'd love to have a Cinderella dress!  I couldn't believe it!  At that moment I was at a loss of words.  To date, it's still one of, if not THE, most amazing things that someone has ever done for me! 
 
Well, all this weekend, from Friday until even now on Sunday night, I am at a place where I'm simply at a loss for words [although, I'm trying to use them now on my blog :-) ].  Here's the story: My Aunt Anne came over on Friday morning and the two of us pressure washed the house.  We worked hard, stopping only for lunch, from about 10-5 (and that, I was to learn, was just the tip of the ice berg that we were soon to embark upon).  I had lots of fun using the pressure washer (sometimes getting too carried away) and I even enjoyed strapping the blower on my back and giving that a go.   Saturday morning, Anne returned with Dean.  I learned all sorts of things about caulking, cement, ant killer, taping up windows (something I never want to do for the rest of my life), painting aluminium, renting power painters, primer, and I'm sure loads of other things that are slipping my tired mind at the moment.  We stopped working last night at about 9:00, when it was finally too dark to see anything else.  Last night, I slept so soundly!  This morning began with breakfast out (where Anne secured for me my very own A Cinderella Story movie poster...which will probably find a home in my new, phat classroom -- K207!) and then we got straight to work with a few more preparations and then PAINT, PAINT, PAINT.  The last time the house was painted was when I was 10 (so that was 15 years ago...it was past time for a new paint job).  However, the last time the house was painted, I was just a kid and don't remember helping much.  Instead, I remember hanging out underneath the orange tree in the backyard collecting rollie pollies in a shoe box.  This time around, it was neat to be an integral part of the process...however, I had no idea the hard work required and the expense required to paint a house (and a pretty small one at that!).  Dean didn't stop at painting: he fixed some bathroom problems, installed a new porch light, WD-40'd the squeaky doors, fixed the outside storage room door...all things that he just tended to because they needed attention.  I'm at a loss for words because Anne and Dean gave so selflessly of their time and money...and they worked so hard!  I'm just so thankful.  I have a pretty bad sunburn on my back and I can barely move I'm so tired, but the house looks beautiful and it's all because of Anne and Dean!
 
My aunt Anne has lived in Orlando my whole life, so I've grown up spending time with her.  I remember climbing a big tree in her front yard when I was probably 5 or 6 and learning to play croquet in her backyard.  She knows how much I lov mashed potatoes and always has them on the stove when I come over for a special dinner.  Every girl wants to be a flower girl and she made me one on my 7th birthday :-)!  I thought it was so neat that she got married on my birthday, but now I realize it was just a convenient Saturday!  When I was about 9 or 10, she came to visit and took me to the grocery store letting me pick out however many packages of cookies that my heart desired (my mom, of course, just had one package of cookies at a time for us).  I'm pretty sure I was 8 when she took me to the mall and let me pick out any dress I wanted for my special Christmas dress.  I decided on a beautiful grey velvet dres with a lace collar and a pink rose.  And, when her first daughter was born, she always let me have a couple of Sarah's pink diapers for my baby dolls :-)!  I have some pretty great memories of Anne, but I'm fairly certain that this weekend's painting adventure will forever stand out on top.  I guess this really is what family should be all about:  selflessness and generousity with a bit of laughter!  Thanks Anne and Dean, from the bottom of my heart.  This has meant so much to me.