Twilight -

For the record I have to say the books are 1000X better than the movie! Once upon a time, in September of 2007, I was dropping Zachery off at a Harry Potter themed birthday party. I stood by the door making small talk for a few minutes with Amy, when she suddenly said, "You have to read this!" Magically Jamie appeared with a book, titled 'Twilight'. I looked at it, Amy said, "It's a vampire love story, but it's really good." I left with the book in hand, placing it in the console of the van, where it sat for a week.

When I saw it again, I thought, 'Either take it in and read it or give it back! It's a signed copy for heaven sakes.' - I took it in!

The next day, as I closed the book on the final chapter...(yes, less than 24 hours) I thought, 'W O W! That was good', I turned the book over and started it again! I knew there was going to be a sequel called New Moon, the 1st chapter was in the back of Twilight...as I closed the book one day, I saw a website on the back, I went there only to discover the next 2 BOOKS WERE OUT!

I called Jamie, the source of the books, and borrowed the next 2 books. And so the cycle began, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, etc, etc, etc...

I am going to spare you a lot of detail here, but I began talking to friends about "The Series" and next think you know I was recommending it... Taleen read it, Doreen read it, Katie was reading it to Kyle - Hilarious! I'm not going into detail about the story, if you have been in a cave or something for the last 3 years, go to a book store and pick up all 4 books now, might as well get the movie sound track, although if you're like me the music was not my style.

As I said I spent the better part of the year reading on the 3 book loop, waiting for book #4, Breaking Dawn, to be released in August. One day, another friend, Malie, said, "Have you been to the Fan fiction sites?" that's right, add a new element - It's CRAZY. I totally blame Amy, Jamie, and Malie for my obsession! Actually Malie and I have decided we"re not "Obsessed" were "Passionate"

So in like Feb or March, they started filming Twilight the movie...Talk about sensory overload!!!

Well, the book came out in August, and the movie came out Nov 21. I refused to go to the Breaking Dawn midnight release party, however I took several calls to answer trivia questions for friends. Although I predicted several plot happenings in the new book, it wasn't really how I saw it in my head. I kept saying, 'This is weird". I read it and shelved it, thinking I was cured of my cycle. Well I decided to read it at the beginning of Nov. It took about 2 weeks, and I enjoyed it so much more!

This brings us to today! November 21, 2008. THE day...I was pressured into (LOL) going to the Midnight showing of Twilight...You know the saying "The book is always better than the movie" - really true here. I hate to say, I was kinda disappointed...Could have been sooo good. So many things left out, so not how I pictured it...Well, another friend, Lori, had tickets and asked me to go with her. So again at 7PM we hit the theater - amazingly, I liked it a lot better the 2nd time! I think the expectation and anxiety I had for the first showing was gone and I could just enjoy it and look at the movie, rather than look for what I was wishing for...Does that even make sense? Anyway, If you saw it and felt disappointed like I did, I recommend you see it again. (and again and again...) Can you believe it made $70.55 Million opening weekend? Whoa!

Probably the funnest Twilight experience I have had was the 21 days before Breaking Dawn came out, they put quotes from the book on Stephenie Meyer's website. (that's the author) Malie lives in Hawaii, she and I texted back and forth our predictions about the quotes, I kept track of them, and in the end sent her a copy. As we found the actual quote in the book, we did pretty well. getting more than 1/2 close, or dead on. It was fun.

Mercedes and I made shirts for the Midnight showing -

We decided there was no reason to do a Midnight showing of New Moon which by the way will start filming early next year, with a bigger budget!

Funny UPDATE - No secret that Dean and Dowlin dislike these books...Dean tries to be a good sport, but it gets on his nerves easily. Dowlin says he's just tired of going without decent meals. (K, that only happens the first time through a book!) Anyway, Dowlin's announces that Maritza thinks the books are stupid. That he's found the only girl who hates Edward. (one of the main characters) Well, Maritza was over the day I was making our shirts, she asked what they were for, Mercedes and I looked sideways at each other, I plopped the book down in front of her, Dow freaked out - she didn't even know anything about them! She thinks her aunt told her she should read them... Mercedes and I busted out laughing at Dowlin - she said, "No Dow, you didn't find the only girl who hates Twilight...You found the only girl who hasn't read Twilight". So Hilarious!