Suit Shopping Adventure

After much arguing and reasoning with my parents, Alaina and I set out for Greensburg, PA yesterday. The drive was super easy and a little under an hour. We shopped around the Westmoreland Mall which was overflowing with bitchy white women and their gift cards.

I discovered the reason I am faced with such difficulty when trying to find a nice-fitting suit: my arms are freakishly long whereas my torso is short. So finding a slim, short suit with long arms is difficult.

However, we discovered a dark gray suit at Macy's. A very busy and flustered cashier kindly helped us pick out the right size and pin it up. I have to pick up the altered jacket in two weeks.

We decided that we still wanted to check out Pittsburgh and H & M just in case a better deal existed. On the way out of the mall, we quickly stopped at Chick-fil-A. Believe it or not, but after eighteen years of living in Western Pennsylvania, I had not eaten at the favored fast food restaurant. We ate our chicken and waffle fries in the car, and I finally understood the delicious awesomeness.

Anyway, Alaina wanted to drive to Pittsburgh. Driving with her is always interesting. We were guided by a TomTom GPS that we borrowed from Adam. Whenever it spoke a direction, Alaina and I would both jump out of our skin. Furthermore, Alaina believed that every direction had to be carried out immediately. The TomTom would say, "Merge left in three miles." Alaina would shriek something along the lines of "Holy ****! Move *******!" Suddenly, every car around us turned into one of Ramona's seven evil exes who would do everything in their power to stop us from turning left.

The route from Greensburg also involved the turnpike. Dun. Dun. Dun.

As we approached the turnpike entrance, we realized that we were too far away from the ticket dispenser. This meant that Alaina would have to open her car door in order to reach out and grab the ticket.

It was sort of like those Visa commercials when someone pays with cash. Alaina was the dude paying with cash.

As she reached out for the ticket, someone shouted "Whoa! Whoa!" Alaina quickly sped off, and I felt like we had just robbed a bank.

Entering the main road, Alaina remarked, "I feel like I'm on a ride at Disney World." Then the evil guy who was behind us - probably the "Whoa!" dude, almost hit us as he impatiently tried to merge from behind us. He was a pedophile in a pickup truck with a bunch of suits. Why? I ask. We should have hijacked the suits.

Seriously, when Alaina opened her door to grab the ticket, what did he think we were going to do? Let's look at the possibilities. This brings me to...

Things to do at a Turnpike Entrance other than Simply Taking a Stupid Ticket:

• Steal all of the tickets so that no one else can enter the turnpike. Suckers!
• Hold all three turnpike workers at gunpoint.
• Rob all of the quarters.
• Sit and have a two-hour conversation about the meaning of Inception.
• Eat the Ramen noodles that you've been storing in a thermos.
• Make love.
  
• Go for a walk.
  
• Commence to ballroom dance.

I'm sure there are many others, but I'm getting sick of typing. I want to talk more about the trip, New Year's Eve, and a shocking revelation about girls, hair, and baby powder, but all that will have to wait until tomorrow. Stay tuned. Happy 2011!

Blue Skies are Calling

Whoa. I need to stop and breathe for a second. I am sort of shocked that it's Thursday already. I have only 4 days left of a glorious break.

I've been having fun. I had a couple parties with the family around Christmas, much like every year. Then, the cousins from LA came to visit, and we talked for three hours. I spent the past two days tromping around Johnstown with my cousin McKenzie. We were also joined by Alaina, Ryan, and Adam. What a crew! We ate a lot of good food and watched half a dozen movies.

Now, McKenzie has suddenly returned to Virginia because homework and projects were calling her name. I guess I should start working on stuff too. But first, I have to find a suit. Being awkwardly long and skinny isn't always easy. I haven't found a nice suit yet. The Winter Formal is over two weeks away. So, I still have time. A road trip might be in order.

As 2010 ends, I am excited for what lies ahead. It was another fun year. 2010 leaves me with hope.

Happy Birthday Jesus

It's Christmas! Get off the computer and go hang with your family and friends! God Bless!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

So it's Christmas Eve. Feels weird, doesn't it?

Last night, Ryan, Adam, and I helped decorate our cathedral. Setting up the trees and the nativity scenewas difficult but fun. Then we joined Alaina and her brother to hit up Dunkin Donuts and Coney Island.

Oh yeah. I also saw Black Swan yesterday. It was crazy but very good. It was a sort of film that I have not seen before - very dark and artsy. The whole movie had a dancing movement to it, and you can't help but get completely lost in it. Definitely check it out.



So far today, my family and I have been busy preparing - cleaning the house and baking cookies. The holidays always end up being stressful, and we started the day with an argument. After everyone had their say and cooled down, we sat in the living room with our heads in our hands. Now things are better, and I'm looking forward to break.

For some reason, I really missed my grandparents today. My church had a mass dedicated to them this morning at 7:00 am but none of us made it. I hope they're somewhere warm.

Well, wishing you all the best! Less than 24 hours until Christmas!

I'm Not Applying Anymore

As of two hours ago, I am officially done applying for college. Just in time for Christmas. It feels good.

For the first time in a long time, I had some downtime tonight. So I finished watching a documentary I started a week ago. It's called Tales From the Script. Anyone not interested in filmmaking would most likely be bored to tears.


Basically, the screenwriters who were interviewed talked about how cutthroat the industry is and how no one knows what they're doing. It was really funny and yet horrifying at the same time.

At the end of the movie, one of the writers talked about writing the film My Life. It starred Nicole Kidman and Michael Keaton and had to do with cancer. The movie got awful reviews and the writer was mortified and embarrassed.

However nine months after the release, a woman came up to him at a party and shared her story. Her husband had died of cancer, and her twelve-year-old son never talked about it. Then, she was diagnosed with cancer and had six months to live. She took her son to see the movie, and on the way home afterward, he sobbed. At home, he crawled into bed with her, and they had the conversation that she needed to have in order to leave the world.

So in retrospect, the writer wrote the movie for her. Unknowingly. And it was enough.

I think that's cool. And as I worked on my college essays about my passion in film, etc., it was easy to become a little discouraged. I made the short film A Dance in Time. It was a high school film - nothing extraordinary. But many friends of my grandparents, whom I would never have talked to otherwise, have approached me. Many older couples tell me how much they enjoyed the film. So I guess that is enough.

It still hasn't sunk in. But only three days until Christmas.

Movie Love

This past weekend was a little crazy, and it felt never-ending. But Monday brought a new week and so far, I am as happy as can be.

It feels like Christmas. I'm working to get stuff done before break. Man do I need one! I think we all do.

Besides Christmas, this is one of my favorite times of the year for another reason: movies! And most of the best ones! The only downside is that Johnstown hardly ever gets any of the limited releases. But that won't stop me. As of now, I'm driving an hour away with some friends on Thursday to see Black Swan. I'll drive all Oscar season if I have to. There's a buttload of films I want to see.


I'm almost done with my final college application - LMU. I've been working on the film essay. I have to write about the elements of the most powerful stories and storytellers. The essay has actually been giving me a hard time.

When I was searching for inspiration the other day, I stumbled across a dude who makes a movie montage at the end of each year. They were really cool. Of course, I'm a sucker for those montages at the ends of movies that give you little heart goosebumps (see Annie Hall, Slumdog Millionaire, 500 Days of Summer, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).

Anyways, the Cinema 2010 montage was uploaded today. Make some popcorn and enjoy!

Also, only four days until Christmas! I can't believe it!

Snow Day Results

Tonight, I am busy working on homework and projects that have resulted from the third snow day of the year. Yesterday was fun.

I'm home alone! That means endless coffee drinking and blasting music!

Tomorrow my school's student council is hosting a Christmas Coffeehouse aka open mic night. I have stuff to prepare for that tonight too. I can talk about it tomorrow. I also still have to write about the weekend and a new development - mine and Alaina's strange relationship that no one understands.

Well, I better get back to work. Only ten days until Christmas! Holy poop! Finish up getting your gifts for your besties!

Yes... I used that word.