But sometimes I do it anyway.
Because, common', the glare he gives me is kind of funny.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Brittney's Basics of Moviegoing
I love going to the movie theatre. You get to gorge yourself on popcorn and skittles, gasp at every completely unfamiliar plot twist, and if you're lucky, see it in 3D. They're the perfect social activity: you get a half hour or so to chat beforehand, then the opportunity to whisper witty one liners during the event, without the pessure to maintain constant witty banter, and afterwards, you have a new and exciting conversation topic. Afterwards, you get to spread the buzz about particularly awesome movies and feel "in the know" when people reference it in conversation and others can only give a puzzled stare.
There is a downside to my beloved passtime, however. It's a major cash suck. My home theatre loving counterparts can easily pull off for five dollars a slightly less exciting version of what cost me twenty. To that end, may I present Brittney's Basics of Moviegoing so fellow theatre lovers can get the most out of their money.
1) Choose your movie wisely.
Part of what makes going to the movie in theatres worth the extra cash is the opportunity to watch it on a big huge screen, cranked up loud. To take full advantage of the situation, I prefer a movie with at least one of the following criteria:
2) Nobody follows the "No outside food" rule.
Even though outside food is technically not allowed, most theatre staff will simply turn a blind eye as long as you're somewhat discreet about it. And it saves money. Bag of candy at a convienience store? $1.50. At the theatre's concession stand? $5.00. Of course, unless you're a pro, there are some things that should never be attempted for safety reasons. Like hot chocolate. Best to buy that when you get there. Popcorn is not easy to go all food ninja on and sneak in, so if you don't, make sure to buy some, because no movie is complete without it!
3) Find your "Movie Buddy"
Whether it's a spouse, significant other, or a good friend, everyone has at least one. You know, that person who has the same or similar taste in movies as you do, doesn't talk your ear off, but doesn't miss opportunities to whisper their best movie-related jokes in your ear, and likes to sit in the same section as you do. Ideally, you feel comfortable laughing, gasping, crying, and screaming and making your own witty remarks in front of this person, and can rely on them to give you a brief but concise synopsis of what you missed, should you require a bathroom break.
Having similar theatrical tastes as your Movie Buddy is the most essential of these traits, because the only thing worse than having to pay twenty bucks for a movie you didn't want to see in the first place is having to pay your friend's way because he or she didn't want to see your movie selection. This type of movie relationship only causes mutual pain.
So yeah. Those are the general rules I follow to get the most out of my moviegoing experience. Did I miss anything? If so, feel free to let me know! :)
There is a downside to my beloved passtime, however. It's a major cash suck. My home theatre loving counterparts can easily pull off for five dollars a slightly less exciting version of what cost me twenty. To that end, may I present Brittney's Basics of Moviegoing so fellow theatre lovers can get the most out of their money.
1) Choose your movie wisely.
Part of what makes going to the movie in theatres worth the extra cash is the opportunity to watch it on a big huge screen, cranked up loud. To take full advantage of the situation, I prefer a movie with at least one of the following criteria:
- an awesome soundtrack
- academy award nominations
- an explosion, a swordfight, or a car chase
- witty, fast moving dialogue (at home, people would talk over it more, causing you to miss parts)
2) Nobody follows the "No outside food" rule.
Even though outside food is technically not allowed, most theatre staff will simply turn a blind eye as long as you're somewhat discreet about it. And it saves money. Bag of candy at a convienience store? $1.50. At the theatre's concession stand? $5.00. Of course, unless you're a pro, there are some things that should never be attempted for safety reasons. Like hot chocolate. Best to buy that when you get there. Popcorn is not easy to go all food ninja on and sneak in, so if you don't, make sure to buy some, because no movie is complete without it!
3) Find your "Movie Buddy"
Whether it's a spouse, significant other, or a good friend, everyone has at least one. You know, that person who has the same or similar taste in movies as you do, doesn't talk your ear off, but doesn't miss opportunities to whisper their best movie-related jokes in your ear, and likes to sit in the same section as you do. Ideally, you feel comfortable laughing, gasping, crying, and screaming and making your own witty remarks in front of this person, and can rely on them to give you a brief but concise synopsis of what you missed, should you require a bathroom break.
Having similar theatrical tastes as your Movie Buddy is the most essential of these traits, because the only thing worse than having to pay twenty bucks for a movie you didn't want to see in the first place is having to pay your friend's way because he or she didn't want to see your movie selection. This type of movie relationship only causes mutual pain.
So yeah. Those are the general rules I follow to get the most out of my moviegoing experience. Did I miss anything? If so, feel free to let me know! :)
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Hidden Message
One of the really awesome things about God is His ability to speak to us through unlikely scenarios.
For instance, I was watching The Green Hornet last night with my parents. Basically, the movie itself is half superhero flick, half satire (of superhero movies). The main character, Britt, is spoiled, egotistical, and has a temper and daddy issues. He's an antihero in every sense of the word. His "sidekick", Kato, is a genius, who knows kung fu (or something), plays piano like a prodogy, and can build four cars in two weeks.
Britt is jealous and wants the spotlight, while Kato does his best not to let his immense talent get in the way of his friendship with Britt. Kato humbly accepts the role of sidekick, even though it's clear that Britt's egotism gets in the way of them being a truly effective team.
After watching the movie, I was amused, but feeling uneasy for some reason. Then it hit me: I'm Britt. The fact that the character's name is a shortened version of my own is in itself a funny coincidence. I never did like being called "Britt"; maybe the fact that it's a boy's name explains that. But I digress...
God is so awesome, and without him, I'd be nothing. And yet, I still want to be the Superhero. I still want to be in charge. Even though God is so patient with me, I'm only truly effective in His kingdom when I submit to Him.
It amazes me that God is able to deliver a message that I need to hear through something as simple as a hollywood movie. Particularly, this movie, which clearly had entertaining a crowd, not religious allegory as it's core intention. God is amazing, and I'm fortunate to know Him. I would do well to remember that.
For instance, I was watching The Green Hornet last night with my parents. Basically, the movie itself is half superhero flick, half satire (of superhero movies). The main character, Britt, is spoiled, egotistical, and has a temper and daddy issues. He's an antihero in every sense of the word. His "sidekick", Kato, is a genius, who knows kung fu (or something), plays piano like a prodogy, and can build four cars in two weeks.
Britt is jealous and wants the spotlight, while Kato does his best not to let his immense talent get in the way of his friendship with Britt. Kato humbly accepts the role of sidekick, even though it's clear that Britt's egotism gets in the way of them being a truly effective team.
After watching the movie, I was amused, but feeling uneasy for some reason. Then it hit me: I'm Britt. The fact that the character's name is a shortened version of my own is in itself a funny coincidence. I never did like being called "Britt"; maybe the fact that it's a boy's name explains that. But I digress...
God is so awesome, and without him, I'd be nothing. And yet, I still want to be the Superhero. I still want to be in charge. Even though God is so patient with me, I'm only truly effective in His kingdom when I submit to Him.
It amazes me that God is able to deliver a message that I need to hear through something as simple as a hollywood movie. Particularly, this movie, which clearly had entertaining a crowd, not religious allegory as it's core intention. God is amazing, and I'm fortunate to know Him. I would do well to remember that.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sartorial Saturdays
One of my favorite hobbies is fashion, so this is a new series of posts I'll be trying to see if I can get it to translate well to my blog. If it works, it might just become a more permanent feature. Hopefully you all enjoy it.
I just bought the most Amazing. Thing. Ever. No joke.
Allow me to backtrack a little, my mom and I went to the mall today, and there's this one store that we have a habit of checking out even though we never intend to buy anything there.
It's called Aritzia, and although they are best known for their super comfortable TNA hoodies (I didn't find so, but that's another day's post, I daresay), they sell other articles of clothing, too.
As usual, we went in. And as usual, we found overpriced jeans, t-shirts loudly proclaiming the logos of their brands, and dresses that were no doubt created to be worn on the runway but not in real life.
Nonchalantly, I rested my hand on an inconspicuous looking blazer. What is this?!? My mind did a double take as I looked down at it and slowly came to an amazing realization: it wasn't a blazer at all; it was a hoodie in disguise!(cue the music)
Suddenly, all the possibilities were swarming through my head: I could wear it to work, to church, to school, with jeans or a dress, or slacks...they seemed endless.
It had all the comfort of a warm sweater combined with all the professionalism of a blazer. I HAD to have it!
I braced myself and checked the price tag: $110. I sighed. Even with being employed at a well paying job now, I couldn't afford to spend that much on a sweater. If only I wasn't such a tightwad. I left the store.
We were in the next store for quite some time, but nothing stood out to me. All I could think of was that beautiful "blazer" in the next store...I couldn't resist, I had to buy it anyway.
We went back to Aritzia, and I found my size. Paying for it was certainly not easy (seeing as even half that price would strike me as pricey for a sweater), and a near disaster struck when I realised the tag stated it was "dry clean only" (the manager and the employee who was helping me both insisted that it should be fine on the gentle cycle if left to air dry), but in the end, I did buy it.
And I surprise myself. I'm not even feeling buyer's remorse over it. But then look at it. How could I?
I just bought the most Amazing. Thing. Ever. No joke.
Allow me to backtrack a little, my mom and I went to the mall today, and there's this one store that we have a habit of checking out even though we never intend to buy anything there.
It's called Aritzia, and although they are best known for their super comfortable TNA hoodies (I didn't find so, but that's another day's post, I daresay), they sell other articles of clothing, too.
As usual, we went in. And as usual, we found overpriced jeans, t-shirts loudly proclaiming the logos of their brands, and dresses that were no doubt created to be worn on the runway but not in real life.
Nonchalantly, I rested my hand on an inconspicuous looking blazer. What is this?!? My mind did a double take as I looked down at it and slowly came to an amazing realization: it wasn't a blazer at all; it was a hoodie in disguise!(cue the music)
Suddenly, all the possibilities were swarming through my head: I could wear it to work, to church, to school, with jeans or a dress, or slacks...they seemed endless.
It had all the comfort of a warm sweater combined with all the professionalism of a blazer. I HAD to have it!
I braced myself and checked the price tag: $110. I sighed. Even with being employed at a well paying job now, I couldn't afford to spend that much on a sweater. If only I wasn't such a tightwad. I left the store.
We were in the next store for quite some time, but nothing stood out to me. All I could think of was that beautiful "blazer" in the next store...I couldn't resist, I had to buy it anyway.
We went back to Aritzia, and I found my size. Paying for it was certainly not easy (seeing as even half that price would strike me as pricey for a sweater), and a near disaster struck when I realised the tag stated it was "dry clean only" (the manager and the employee who was helping me both insisted that it should be fine on the gentle cycle if left to air dry), but in the end, I did buy it.
And I surprise myself. I'm not even feeling buyer's remorse over it. But then look at it. How could I?
Monday, May 16, 2011
Why I Don't Talk To People
I've been told that I'm well-written, but well-spoken I am not. In fact, I'm pretty much the queen of Foot-In-Mouthtopia. Case and point: today.
I've been suffering a bout of insomnia for the past few days. Which sucks, but with my usual day-to-day activities, I can suffer it out without too much of a problem. Unfortunately, one of my tasks this week at work was to drive trucks from the airport to a nearby repair shop so they could get oil changes.
Of course, this is not a safe activity when in three days you've had a total of maybe eight hours of sleep. So when I woke up this morning after yet another restless night, I knew that there was nothing for it, I would have to ask if I could drive the trucks another day.
I walked into an office, where about a dozen strangers stared at me. "Hi, I'm the new summer student employee.", I stammered out nervously. More staring. "I was supposed to drive trucks today.", I continued. A couple people nodded. "But I was wondering if there was any way I could do it later this week. I didn't sleep well last night, and so I don't think it would be safe for me to drive today."
"Yeah, that's fine.", one guy said. "Thank you.", I stammered as I opened the door to leave. "Uh huh." As I closed the door, I breathed a sigh of relief and thought to myself "There you go. Now you can go have a nice, safe day of paperwork".
Then, as I was walking down the hall to return to my desk, disaster struck.
It occurred to me that high school Grad was this weekend. Then it occurred to me how hung over I must have sounded to my coworkers whom I'd never met in the previous exchange. I cringed and blushed retrospectively. Too late now, I thought to myself.
But at least I finally have a work related story for my blog! :)
I've been suffering a bout of insomnia for the past few days. Which sucks, but with my usual day-to-day activities, I can suffer it out without too much of a problem. Unfortunately, one of my tasks this week at work was to drive trucks from the airport to a nearby repair shop so they could get oil changes.
Of course, this is not a safe activity when in three days you've had a total of maybe eight hours of sleep. So when I woke up this morning after yet another restless night, I knew that there was nothing for it, I would have to ask if I could drive the trucks another day.
I walked into an office, where about a dozen strangers stared at me. "Hi, I'm the new summer student employee.", I stammered out nervously. More staring. "I was supposed to drive trucks today.", I continued. A couple people nodded. "But I was wondering if there was any way I could do it later this week. I didn't sleep well last night, and so I don't think it would be safe for me to drive today."
"Yeah, that's fine.", one guy said. "Thank you.", I stammered as I opened the door to leave. "Uh huh." As I closed the door, I breathed a sigh of relief and thought to myself "There you go. Now you can go have a nice, safe day of paperwork".
Then, as I was walking down the hall to return to my desk, disaster struck.
It occurred to me that high school Grad was this weekend. Then it occurred to me how hung over I must have sounded to my coworkers whom I'd never met in the previous exchange. I cringed and blushed retrospectively. Too late now, I thought to myself.
But at least I finally have a work related story for my blog! :)
Sunday, May 8, 2011
NOTICE: Blog changes
Hey, guys! :)
So, here's the deal. My blog didn't end up being as much about college as I thought it would be, and I've decided that I would rather change the blog's layout and such to reflect the direction my blog is currently taking then change my topics to match what I had originally planned this blog to be about.
In order to make my blog more consistent, I've decided to start working on a new layout. The format should still be more or less the same as before, it'll just look different. I intend to make the changes gradually over the course of the next month or so (or less, if it doesn't take as long as I expect it will), as to not shell-shock anyone.
I'm also going to be changing the blog's name from "The College Chronicles" to "Based on a True Story", since most of my posts are either my observations of true events, or dramatizations of things that have actually happened to me (also, I came up with "The College Chronicles" because I needed to have a header, not because I particularly liked the idea to begin with).
I intend to keep the URL the same for now, since I can't find an available one to match my new title. If I ever decide to change my URL in the future, though, I will give at least one week's notice and tag the first few posts as my old URL, just to make sure no one gets lost.
I'm sorry for any inconvenience these changes may cause, but I would like to make them now, since my blog is still quite small. I think that putting these changes in place should allow me to write without feeling constrained by my theme. As a result, I think that it will make this blog better.
Thanks for your patience!
Brittney
So, here's the deal. My blog didn't end up being as much about college as I thought it would be, and I've decided that I would rather change the blog's layout and such to reflect the direction my blog is currently taking then change my topics to match what I had originally planned this blog to be about.
In order to make my blog more consistent, I've decided to start working on a new layout. The format should still be more or less the same as before, it'll just look different. I intend to make the changes gradually over the course of the next month or so (or less, if it doesn't take as long as I expect it will), as to not shell-shock anyone.
I'm also going to be changing the blog's name from "The College Chronicles" to "Based on a True Story", since most of my posts are either my observations of true events, or dramatizations of things that have actually happened to me (also, I came up with "The College Chronicles" because I needed to have a header, not because I particularly liked the idea to begin with).
I intend to keep the URL the same for now, since I can't find an available one to match my new title. If I ever decide to change my URL in the future, though, I will give at least one week's notice and tag the first few posts as my old URL, just to make sure no one gets lost.
I'm sorry for any inconvenience these changes may cause, but I would like to make them now, since my blog is still quite small. I think that putting these changes in place should allow me to write without feeling constrained by my theme. As a result, I think that it will make this blog better.
Thanks for your patience!
Brittney
Thursday, May 5, 2011
8 Terrifying Things
So, I've done a lot of posts on things I really like, so today I've decided to change it up and list some things that scare the crap out of me. Please note that the things on this list are not necessarily dangerous (although some are), just terrifying. So here goes:
1) Wasps. Number one on my list and also my number one phobia. Angry little insects that have the potential to hurt you, and they will. Just because they can...(shudder)
2) Those Commercials With the Talking Babies. The mere idea that they could discuss the weather with you while you change their diaper is nothing short of terrifying. Seriously, they send chills up my spine.
3) Wave Particle Duality. Light is a particle, but it's also a wave. Trying to wrap your head around this physics principle is like taking a drug-free acid trip. Also, the light apparently knows when it's being watched. Pretty scary stuff. It also probably didn't help that I had to watch this video when learning about it. Seriously, you only need to watch a couple seconds to realise why I wouldn't touch the stuff with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole now. :P
4) People Who Get Plastic Surgery to Look More Like Animals. WHY would any sane person want this?!? Enough said.
5) Nuclear Winter. If this happened, it would pretty much remove my will to live. I hate winter 4 (Or 5, or 6) months of the year, it's safe to say I would not be able to bear 12. Not that I'd still be alive; it's the result of nuclear war, but you know what I mean...
6) 'Designer Babies' common', folks! Step right up and choose your baby's eye color. Or why not try our "combo pack" and choose your baby's entire genetic makeup for a nice, low price? What a repulsive idea on so many levels...
7) The Aquarium Aisle in the Pet Store. Where to begin here? The semi darkness? The awareness that if a fish were to jump out of the tank, you wouldn't see it. You'd be steppin' on that puppy...er, fish? The fact that the only light is tinged an eerie blue and shines out of row upon row of fishy prisons? The list goes on and on...
8) How Even Though Facebook is Boring and Compromises our Privacy, We're All Addicted to it. Seriously, when you regret not being able to access facebook from your phone, and you spend more time typing to people then talking to people, then you know it's time to cut back. We all need rehab.
1) Wasps. Number one on my list and also my number one phobia. Angry little insects that have the potential to hurt you, and they will. Just because they can...(shudder)
2) Those Commercials With the Talking Babies. The mere idea that they could discuss the weather with you while you change their diaper is nothing short of terrifying. Seriously, they send chills up my spine.
3) Wave Particle Duality. Light is a particle, but it's also a wave. Trying to wrap your head around this physics principle is like taking a drug-free acid trip. Also, the light apparently knows when it's being watched. Pretty scary stuff. It also probably didn't help that I had to watch this video when learning about it. Seriously, you only need to watch a couple seconds to realise why I wouldn't touch the stuff with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole now. :P
4) People Who Get Plastic Surgery to Look More Like Animals. WHY would any sane person want this?!? Enough said.
5) Nuclear Winter. If this happened, it would pretty much remove my will to live. I hate winter 4 (Or 5, or 6) months of the year, it's safe to say I would not be able to bear 12. Not that I'd still be alive; it's the result of nuclear war, but you know what I mean...
6) 'Designer Babies' common', folks! Step right up and choose your baby's eye color. Or why not try our "combo pack" and choose your baby's entire genetic makeup for a nice, low price? What a repulsive idea on so many levels...
7) The Aquarium Aisle in the Pet Store. Where to begin here? The semi darkness? The awareness that if a fish were to jump out of the tank, you wouldn't see it. You'd be steppin' on that puppy...er, fish? The fact that the only light is tinged an eerie blue and shines out of row upon row of fishy prisons? The list goes on and on...
8) How Even Though Facebook is Boring and Compromises our Privacy, We're All Addicted to it. Seriously, when you regret not being able to access facebook from your phone, and you spend more time typing to people then talking to people, then you know it's time to cut back. We all need rehab.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Today's Little Adventure
So, due to a mix up, I ended up at church an hour and a half before the service was scheduled to start. Our church does have Sunday School at that time, but, having a driver's license and a car at my disposal, I decided to do something stupid and Canadian instead- I would go on a Tim Horton's Run! (yay!).
The decision seemed to make perfect sense at the time: I was starving, I never go to Sunday School anyway because I sing during the services and practice runs at the same time so I thought it would be awkward going this once and then not coming back, and I'd just downloaded a bunch of new songs off of itunes, and frankly, singing along to them in my car just seemed irresistably fun. Also, I was really craving a maple donut and a butter caramel hot smoothie.
The smart portion of my brain (pictured in red) tried it's best to remind me that I had no idea where the nearest Tim Horton's was. Of course, the rest of my brain quickly countered its whining with a series of reasons to go ahead with the idea. It'd be spontaneous fun, I had a gift card for Tim's so I wouldn't have to pay, I live in Canada for goodness sakes, there's a Tim Horton's on practically every corner, I'd get to know the neighbourhood better, and don't forget the SPONTANEOUS FUN!
I was convinced. I hopped in my car and drove merrily off. For the first fifteen minutes, it was really fun. I hadn't yet located a Timmie's, but it was only a matter of time. The next fifteen minutes were a little less fun, as I accidentally found myself headed towards downtown, then towards the oil refineries on the outskirts of the city.
After that, the inevitable happened: the rush that comes with doing something stupid and unplanned started to wear off. I was driving blindly in circles, in the middle of the city. This was becoming a wild goose chase. Did all the Tim Horton's stores just decide to dissapear because I wanted to buy donuts from one?!?! Eventually, I looked at the clock and realised that I'd been driving around for almost an hour. I sighed. This clearly was not going to happen.
I went back to the church, and deciding to improvise at least on the hot smoothie front, made myself some hot chocolate in the church kitchen. My friend asked me how the Tim Horton's run was. I held up my styrofoam cup and told her it wasn't.
Later on, I went to lunch with a friend at a mall which I had driven by a few times in my earlier quest, thinking, of course, that where there are malls, there is usually a Tim's nearby.
We were pulling into the parking lot when she spotted it. A sign. Announcing that there was new Tim Horton's open...in the mall.
The decision seemed to make perfect sense at the time: I was starving, I never go to Sunday School anyway because I sing during the services and practice runs at the same time so I thought it would be awkward going this once and then not coming back, and I'd just downloaded a bunch of new songs off of itunes, and frankly, singing along to them in my car just seemed irresistably fun. Also, I was really craving a maple donut and a butter caramel hot smoothie.
 |
| Intelligence, the tribe has spoken. |
I was convinced. I hopped in my car and drove merrily off. For the first fifteen minutes, it was really fun. I hadn't yet located a Timmie's, but it was only a matter of time. The next fifteen minutes were a little less fun, as I accidentally found myself headed towards downtown, then towards the oil refineries on the outskirts of the city.
After that, the inevitable happened: the rush that comes with doing something stupid and unplanned started to wear off. I was driving blindly in circles, in the middle of the city. This was becoming a wild goose chase. Did all the Tim Horton's stores just decide to dissapear because I wanted to buy donuts from one?!?! Eventually, I looked at the clock and realised that I'd been driving around for almost an hour. I sighed. This clearly was not going to happen.
I went back to the church, and deciding to improvise at least on the hot smoothie front, made myself some hot chocolate in the church kitchen. My friend asked me how the Tim Horton's run was. I held up my styrofoam cup and told her it wasn't.
Later on, I went to lunch with a friend at a mall which I had driven by a few times in my earlier quest, thinking, of course, that where there are malls, there is usually a Tim's nearby.
We were pulling into the parking lot when she spotted it. A sign. Announcing that there was new Tim Horton's open...in the mall.
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