Erik just sent me this message - and because I know so many of you are fellow HG fans, I couldn't resist sharing.  I wish I'd thought of this! Nerdy and hilarious.

A friend posted that they were in starbucks the other day and a girl ordered a drink.  When it was done, they read the name out as "primrose everdeen".  The girl that ordered the drink stood up and shouted "I volunteer as tribute!"

Email from my sister, Kristin.  Thought I'd share this with the rest of you HG nerds today.  How many of these facts did you know, and pick up on as you were reading through? 

"As I went to my favorite website ever (dictionary.com) I was interested by this. They gave us this sweet little nugget of wisdom on our reaping day. :)"



Katniss

related to the Latin word sagittate, meaning shaped like an arrowhead.

Primrose

a type of flower named after the Latin number one.

Gale

a very strong wind.

Madge

a female given name, from a Greek word meaning pearl.

Cinna

an advisor to Caesar who conspired to kill him in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar.

Seneca

Roman philosopher and writer of tragedies who advised Emperor Nero and was forced to commit suicide.

Plutarch

Greek biographer, who valued morality and character in leaders.

Flavius

a Roman male name, probably originally meaning "yellow-haired."

Coriolanus

legendary Roman military hero and tragic Shakespearean general who defected from the army.

Claudius

former Roman emperor; also Hamlet's deceitful uncle.

Rue

a strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy.

“Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you.”



-Katniss Everdeen

You know it's bad when as you close your eyes, you tell yourself:

"Just think of it as an extra long nap." 

It didn't work.  I still feel very tired this morning.   But far too giddy to really care. 
This girl is NERDING OUT.    Why not?!   It's really quite fun.  And the only people who catch that you're doing it, are the ones who want to themselves too, but are trying to play it cool.   (or aren't.)  So yes, under my button up is my amazing bow & arrow T from Kimberlee... my hair is in a long Katniss-inspired braid.  And in my head, I just keep hearing Effie say,

"It's going to be a big, big, BIG day!"

As I packed for my long next couple days this morning, it was twinged with some sadness:  my HG inspired jewelry that I ordered on Etsy, still hasn't arrived.  :(   Yes - I did.  It's awesome. 

Last night was our first Blueberries game.  We lost.  We've got a few glitches to work out.  But, then we went to some random tiny little bar, that I wouldn't quite call a "dive bar" because it's actually incredibly cute inside, and they don't serve hard alcohol.  Our waitress should have been called "Sal"  and I'm pretty sure she was disappearing to take smoke breaks every few minutes - but she was AMAZING.  Besides one other guy in there, we were her crew, and she made the best of it - and us of her.  Such a fun time - it always is with these people though, I tell ya.  Who knew I'd love those berries so much. 

Well, this is going to be a long day (and a long tomorrow) and both should be AMAZING.  I hope you all have a lovely Thursday, and...

May the odds be ever in your favor.

 

Today, Tomorrow, most of the next.... and then it happens.

Better yet, it's getting good reviews! Trying not to get my hopes up. :)

Have you bought your midnight tickets yet? :)

A few glimpses from The Hunger Games book club. I will say just this, I had a fun time planning, prepping and even at the party itself, even if it didn't go quite as planned. :)

Is it pathetic that I giggled?  

Yes, yes I suppose it is.  Even so, I giggled (at the burnt bread and water color).  And you know what else? I hope my man some day needs me like I need bread.  ;)

On my list of favorite things, high up there is making a recipe for the first time, for guests.  For guests who I hardly know.

Oh wait.  That didn't make the list.

After Kaylee AND a girl at work both suggesting what I'd already been fighting in my own mind... I am taking another shot at lamb stew.  Only one person really liked my lamb stew last St. Patrick's Day.  Oh well I guess.  I'm just going to provide plenty of delicious bread and carbs and delicious dessert to wipe away the memory of the stew (should it bomb).

After looking up some recipes online, I realized that one woman was very right.  I really could have thrown anything in the stew and called it beef... in true Greasy Sae fashion, “Once it’s in the soup, I’ll call it beef.” 

Squirrel anyone?

Oh no, we are going to do this one right.  Lamb and dried plumb and say a quick prayer. ; )  If nothing else, the house smells quite tasty (but the smell fooled me last time too).

“So, Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What’s impressed you most since you arrived here?” asks Caesar. . . .I rack my brain for something that made me happy here. Be honest, I think. Be honest.“The lamb stew,” I get out.Caesar laughs, and vaguely I realize some of the audience has joined in.“The one with the dried plums?” asks Caesar. I nod. “Oh, I eat it by the bucketful.”

P.S.  Guess who bought their ticket today for the midnight showing?

I am a member of two book clubs, a secret literary society, and an unknown reading group.  Makes it hard to decide which book I should pick up next.  Last night, I just gave in and picked up the one I really have been wanting to read for weeks. 

That was after I spent an hour googling "How to throw an amazing Hunger Games themed party."  Tomorrow night I am hosting one of the book clubs, and we have been reading The Hunger Games.  I'm a bit bummed that Natalie won't be there this week and only four of us will.  But that isn't going to stop me from throwing a pretty fantastic evening.  Should you find yourself free tomorrow night, and wishing to discuss the boy who baked bread and the girl who was on fire.... text me.  There will be bread, hot chocolate, something with berries, something for dinner (that's what keeps stumping me!), and some interesting decorations that I began last night.  So very fun.  :) 

PS. My sister Kristin got roped into reading the series, since she started this particular book club (which is actually a book & recipe club), and though she thought she'd be immune.... I happen to know she is currently debating some pretty desperate measures for  how to finish the last 20 pages of book two, while she is at work. ;)  

You can't stop this.

“I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again."

-The Hunger Games  

.

It's February - just let me. ;)

[from here.]

[from here.]

New Hunger Games Trailer

.

Obssessing much? Yes, yes I am. 

Just spent a little time on the official Hunger Games Movie website.

The world will be watching.  Will you?  Read them.  Now. 

On second thought, perhaps take a nap first, because you may not be sleeping for a while.

I am calling it at 51 days. 
I have already requested the next day off... for Rose & Jeff's wedding of course. 
And also because I plan to be out until the early morning the night before. 
That is right - The Hunger Games are nearly here.  If you haven't read them yet, you'll want to.  I can't wait to be sipping ridiculous amounts of coffee in line with Morgan, Esther and so many others.

I've been looking forward to it for months, but I had no idea the dangers that were in store for us all.  After reading this article on Busy Bee Lauren (thank you Kimmers for sending it my way), I'm realizing we are going to need these 51 days to create a strategy.  Obstacles we are going to need to overcome:

1. Select the ideal theatre - we need to consider screen size and competitors (mass size).  We are going to want a good theatre, but also one where we have a  good chance of getting GREAT seats and hopefully one that has less of the teen audience.  We also need to consider getting home after I suppose.  My vote so far though is downtown.  I know at least Esther and I could get there super early to begin saving seats, and parents are far less likely to be dropping off their children at the front door of the downtown theatre than all the Bellevue/ Woodinville/ Redmond/ Alderwood theatres we'd usually pick first.

2. We need to actually BUY tickets to the midnight showing.  Anyone know when these go on sale?

3.  Prepare our silver parachutes (I like what I read on Busy Bee Lauren's page... I will in fact be preparing something clever and delicious to hide in all our purses or simply entertain us for the copious hours in line.)

4.  Read the book.  I'll make it clear: if you haven't read the book, you're not invited.  You can see it with whoever or whenever, but we've made a pact.  We are only seeing it with people who have read it.  But don't worry, you still have time.  51 days to be exact.

P.S.  Please don't screw this up, Hollywood. : /  

We are all SUCH nerds.  But yeah, it's been on my calendar for a couple weeks.  I've even been considering how to best ask for Friday off from the job I haven't even started yet - so I can go to a midnight showing. :) I haven't felt like this since 5th grade and my first introduction to The Chronicles of Narnia. 

(And that's not p.m.)

1/25 

My first book of 2012 and I think I may have just set a new record for myself.   

5am, the trilogy finished and I feel like I can finally rest again.  

Good night- morning people.   Sweet dreams. 

28/25

.

My thoughts this morning have been a constant dialogue with Collins.  I just keep telling her, "You better make this count, Collins.  Please make this count."  And yet, I'm approaching book three with a dread, as many people have now warned me... and I've yet to hear one person say "Aw, the end is so good!" Or, "Just wait 'til you get to the end!"  Nope.  It's like we're all on a long death march together, but we can't pull ourselves out.  So, instead I keep encouraging, or rather threatening Collins, make it count. 

Truly, I can't say enough, what she's accomplished up until this point is amazing.  And I just don't want her to let it suddenly simmer out in the end, never actualizing on all she's made the readers invest.  Never pulling us all through into something. When I think of 'teen fiction' and the topics and issues that saturate it, I want to hug Collins.  She's managed to create a compelling read for teens and adults that forces major issues and crisis that we never encounter.  She's drawing on the past, the future.  What's been and could be again, wrong as it is.  And she's drawing on those few with courage, or stubbornness, to fight.

You better make it count, Collins.