Thank You, Superman!

It absolutely blows my mind that this picture would not exist if it were not for a TV show that went on the air 16 years ago.  When I started watching Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman back in my younger years, I couldn't have possibly known the profound impact it would someday have on my life.   Who knew that I would someday rediscover this show on DVD and that it would lead me to the insanity of the world of online fandom.   How could I have guessed that through that fandom I would meet some of my best friends.  (Now, those of you who may be interested in this fandom world, be warned that is not all rosy and wonderful.  There is drama in this land...drama like you would not believe.  But that is not the topic of this post.)  Well, those thoughts may have never entered my young mind,  but 16 years and 26 days after the airing of the pilot episode, I found myself picking up Jenn (my dear fellow fandom-dweller) and her adorable little 4 month old from the airport and bringing them back to my house for a week of fun in the Florida sunshine.  And a great week it was too! Though this was not the first time we had met in person (in fact, it was the 3rd) it was the first time we ever actually sat down together and watched the show that was responsible for our meeting in the first place.  What a blast that was!  While our hearts are always true to our show, I think that both of us had lost some interest in it lately.  Somehow watching it together brought back a bit of that old spark.  It was such fun to swoon together over the romance, snark over the absurdities, and drool a bit over our Superman.  It made the show come alive in a way it hadn't been in far too long.  Of course, we did not sit around and watch Lois and Clark all week. There was cheesecake, the beach, shopping, talking and laughing into the wee small hours of the morning, swimming, baby giggles, and even a few mosquito bites (OK, that part is not so much great but certainly worth it).   

It was a little sad to send her and that precious little man home yesterday morning.  I am missing them both already!

Shine

I'm a feeling totally overwhelmed and honored right now.  Awhile back I entered one of my Lois and Clark videos in this contest on youtube, and I just found out that I tied for first place in one of the categories!  I love making my videos, and it's always nice when people leave comments and feedback on them, but I certainly never expected to win anything with any of them. 

Here is the video if anyone cares to watch it. The promt was that the video should use clips from every aired season of the show and needed to showcase each main character (anyone who had ever appeared in the opening credits) for every season. I had a great time making this one, so I'm very excited about winning. :)

Clark as The Doctor

Clark, my Build-a-Bear, has been wanting a 10th doctor outfit for awhile now. As Build-a-Bear Workshop does not seem to think they should make this wonderful outfit, I had to figure out how to do it myself. I thought about sewing it, but honestly, I'm not so great at that and I had no idea where to even begin. I'm a little handier with yarn and a crochet hook, so I decided that would be the best way to go. I've never done anything like this before, so I kind of just made it up as I went along. The "pinstripes" are a bit more exaggerated than they should be, but hey my bear doesn't mind. I used two different methods to get the stripes. If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably use the second method (like the pants and sleeves) I came up with for the whole thing. It went a lot faster and the stripes were a little less obvious that way. However, my mom liked it better the first way (how it is on the jacket). I like both, and I don't plan to do it again, so whatever. I also made him a little sonic screwdriver to go with his new outfit. Now I just need to figure out how to get a shirt and tie to go under the jacket and get him some shoes. Also, I may someday decide to to make the overcoat. We'll see.

Another Doctor

(click images to view larger)
Yesterday I had an unexpected day off work. Toward late afternoon I started to feel that I needed a project that didn't involve sitting in front of my computer, so I pulled out my bag of yarn and went to work. I ended up coming up with my own pattern for this little 10th Doctor doll. **Spoilers for season 4. Highlight to read. (This is to keep Jenn from getting spoiled...sorry Jenn, you need to watch!)** This is the Meta-Crisis doctor from the end of season 4. In the show, his shirt is actually closer to a maroon color, but I worked with what I had. I am very glad that this particular version of the doctor doesn't wear a tie as I didn't enjoy making the tie on the last doctorr. He's smaller than the original one I made, and I think he turned out a little better. I put him next to the Puffs tissue box, to show his actual size. I'm quite fond of him. :) I plan to make a little Rose to go with him as well. In fact, as I just found out that I'm not working today either, I think I'll be making her this afternoon.

New Video

Another new Doctor Who video. Yeah, I'm a little obsessed with making them right now, but hey it's fun! At least it's better than sitting around and contemplating how boring my life truly is. ;)

Retrace

Another Doctor Who video. I finished it last night. I'm not sure how I feel about it. There is so much that I'd like to change, but I'm still trying to figure out this editing program. The song is Retrace by Anberlin. I am loving Anberlin. I hadn't even heard of them until they came up on one of my Pandora stations recently, but they are great. Don't be shocked if there are a lot of Who related posts in the near future. I kind of tend to obsess over things. ;) If you don't care about Doctor Who, just ignore the posts. Seriously though, it's a great show. Give it a chance.

Vidding Again

Introducing my very first Doctor Who Music video! Apart from the frustrations of trying to work with a new editing program that seemed to enjoy crashing, removing clips at random, and adding ghost clips to places where I couldn't get rid of them, I really enjoyed making this. It's my first completed video in, I think, nearly a year. I've been dying to get back into vidding, but computer frustrations and lack of inspiration of kept me from it. Doctor Who has provided me with fresh ideas and desire, so hopefully I can get this program figured out and get back into the swing of things.

No need to watch if you aren't a Doctor who fan (though if you aren't, you should be!). Also, it has lots of season 4 spoilers in it, so don't watch if you are still working your way through the show. If you are a fan and you have already seen the show up to date, then go ahead and enjoy. :)

Man of Steel...err...Yarn

I've made another little friend for my collection. I adapted him from another pattern from Snuffykin, this one for the 9th doctor. I didn't really keep track of the changes I made, so I don't have a pattern for it. I kind of just figured it out as I went along. Perhaps if I ever make another one I'll keep track of what I'm doing and write out a pattern.
Yes, his eyes are brown. I am aware that traditionally Superman has blue eyes, but my personal favorite Superman (as played by Dean Cain) had brown eyes. Therefore my little Superman has brown eyes. The S Shield is kind of a mess. Embroidery is not my strong point! However, I'm happy with my little Superman.

Whovian Crafting

I have now managed to get my mother into Doctor Who. I started watching them with her on Sunday, and she is now halfway through the second season. Yesterday she sat at home and watched it for about eight hours. I'm so proud of her. ;) The only reason she even stopped was because I told her I'd like her to wait so I could watch some of it with her. Obsessions are always more fun when they can be shared with others.

And speaking of my Doctor Who obsession...

Meet my new friends. :)

While looking for a Doctor Who overcoat pattern for Clark, my Build-a-Bear, (I have not yet found a pattern, so Clark sadly cannot dress up as The Doctor) I came across patterns on Snuffykin's Live Journal for crochet dolls of The Doctor and Rose Tyler (snuffykin, I don't know you, but thank you so much for these awesome patterns!) I've been crocheting for years, but I had never attempted anything like this. My crocheting experiences have mostly been limited to doilies and a few afghans. I decided that I would give it a try. I am so glad I did! I had a lot of fun making them, and I'm pretty proud of the way they turned out.
Now, if only I could figure out how to make a TARDIS and a tiny sonic screwdriver!

"Allons-y!"

"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm nine hundred and three years old, and I'm the man who's going to save your life and all six billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?"

Well, here we go again. I have a new obsession. I'm officially in love with this show. Over the course of the past week I have watched the first three seasons, and I have started the fourth. I have wept, laughed out loud, and jumped around clapping like a fool over this show already. I'm not sure why I have such a propensity for getting myself absurdly emotionally involved in the lives of fictional characters, but I do, and I'm OK with that. :)

One Short Day In The Emerald City!

I just got back from seeing Wicked for the 3rd time in three years. The ticket was a birthday present from my parents, and I went with three of my friends. The production was, once again, phenomenal. Marcie Dodd played Elphaba (interestingly, when I saw the LA production, she played Nessarose), and she was absolutely the best Elphaba I've seen yet. I can't really say about the rest of the cast as much of it tends to run together in my mind. However, Marcie certainly stood out. Every Elphaba I've seen has been amazing, but this one had me awed. It was such a fun evening. We all met at Olive Garden beforehand for dinner and then drove over to the theater together. It's always fun to have an occasion to dress up and have a night out with the girls. :) We got a lady to take a picture of us by the sign as we walked out. It's not the best picture, but it's the only one I have.

Vacation Ahead!

It isn't often that I get to go on a vacation to a place I've never been. I usually take at least two vacations a year, but they are rarely to someplace new. Example, in the last three years, I've been to LA five times. Five! In three years! Sure, that first time it was new and exciting, but once I start to remember street names and the directions to the nearest Cheesecake Factory, the city starts to lose it's newness. (Ok, to be honest, I do not remember the directions to the the nearest Cheesecake Factory, but I can't help it! I can get lost in my own mall, and I spend a LOT of time there!) Don't get me wrong, I still love going and visiting my friends there, but it's time for a CHANGE! So, this year I'm headed to Washington State. I booked my flight yesterday! I'll be going at the end of March, and I can hardly wait. It's going to be an awesome, TANG-FREE (if you were there, you'll get it. If not, don't worry about it) time with some of my favorite FoLC friends (I only use this term to distinguish them from my friends from college, homeschooling, church, etc... The truth is, they are just friends now. It really has little to do with our shared love of Lois and Clark.) I've been told to pack and umbrella and my pontoon boat. Hopefully the boat, at least, will not actually be necessary.

In the mean time, life goes on as usual. Currently I am alternating between typing and patting the back of a toddler who is determined that she does not want to nap. Tonight I start the new season with my bell choir. Eventually I'll see about posting some video of them playing. The weather is cool (highs in the 60s). The sun is shining. My cousins up in Michigan are freezing their hindquarters off! Life is good...ok, that last part was evil of me. But really, why don't they just all come down here for the winter?! Who wants to be hanging out in 2 degree weather? "Not I," said the PirateDiva!

Twilight Crazy

It wasn't something I planned. I was going to be a sane person. I was going to go at a reasonable time of day at some point this weekend. After all, am I a psycho, crazed fan? Am I prone to extreme obsession and fan-girl behavior? Of course no-oh who am I kidding? If you know me at all you know that, well, I'm the kind of girl who flies across country to attend a Lois and Clark convention. I'm the girl who spent an obscene amount of money on a pirate costume. My miniature Christmas tree looks like a tribute to Superman. Clearly fan-girl is among the many facets of Lauren's personality.

So, at approximately 11:00 last night, if you had been looking for this fan-girl, you would have found her standing in (thankfully a very short) line to purchase her ticket for the 12:01 showing of Twilight. As I said, it was not my plan to be among the first to see the movie. However, my sister and brother-in-law were going, and I just couldn't pass it up. After all, it's not like I had to be up early or anything. Why not go? I love the books, and this was a movie that I had been cautiously excited to see for several months. (What can I say, I jumped on the bandwagon a little late). I was certainly looking forward to it, but at the same time I knew that it could never live up to the book. I was a little afraid that it would would stray too far, take too many liberties, or change the entire feel of the story. Now, of course I was right on some of this. It is very rare to find a movie that truly lives up to it's book version. So much can be expressed and imagined in a book that can just never been properly shown on the screen. No actor or actress can be every person's imagined version of book characters. I must say though, that this movie far exceeded my expectations. It wasn't perfect. It didn't follow the story exactly. Not every line was delivered in the way I had imagined it while reading. It was not the book, but it didn't have to be. It was great at being what it was...a movie.

I must say, I am very glad that I went to the opening. Even if the movie had bombed, the crowd reactions would have been worth the price of admission. The cheer when the movie finally started, the collective squee when Edward first appeared on screen, the twitter and subsequent "SHUT UP!" that happened as Edward leaned in to kiss Bella for the first time, the captivated audience (myself included!) finding themselves quoting as one voice with Edward "sick, masochistic lion"...these things all added something very special to that opening night experience. There was a charged energy in the audience that greatly heightened the excitement for me. Being in a crowd of strangers who are all passionate (at least for the moment) about the same completely unimportant thing, is really a lot of fun.

I do feel the need to mention something here. (Rob fans, you may as well stop here. No need for you to read any further. You'll just hate me.) While I, like most of the rest of the female population, am a little in love with Edward Cullen (only a little mind you...he is not, after all, Will Turner or Clark Kent), I am NOT in love with this Rob Pattinson who portrays him in the movie. I think he did a fantastic job at playing Edward, and I'll admit that the sparkling thing was pretty cool; but my goodness girls, he is just not that wonderful! Also, that voice...I was so thankful that his singing was only used in the background of the movie. If he had actually been singing to her in the course of the film, I probably would have used that time to take a bathroom break.

Now, as I look back at how much I have written on such an insignificant subject, I think to myself, "Wow, Lauren, you really need to get a life!"

Lauren Ponders...

Why would Clark say, "ow!" when Martha pulled on his ear in Season's Greedings? Are you telling me that a man who can take bullets without blinking, can't handle having his mommy grab his earlobe?








I'll leave you to ponder why Lauren is watching Christmas eps in October. ;)

Later That Same Day...

Never mind, Captain Lauren will not be setting sail for Michigan anytime soon. That job didn't work out. Sigh, something will come...won't it? Sometimes it seems like it's never going to happen, but I know that I need to have more faith than that.

Tonight my niece fell asleep on my chest while we watched Road to Avonlea together (well, OK, I was watching. She was lying on me while I was patting her back). It's the sweetest thing in the world to have such a precious little one sleeping in your arms. I love it. It was about time too. By the time she fell asleep it was around 11:30. Let's just hope it means she will sleep in a bit in the morning. My nephew was much easier to get to sleep. I have him a bath, read him some Froggy books, and put him in bed around 9. I haven't heard from him since.

Can I just say how much I love this show (Road to Avonlea)? Lois and Clark is the show I call my all time favorite, but a big part of that is because of the friendships I have made through the fandom. Road to Avonlea is the show that most takes me back to my childhood. In a way, it's like comfort food for me...especially any episode concerning Gus Pike and Felicity King. There is a certain reoccurring piece of music

from the show, Gus Pike's Theme,

(by John Welsman and arranged from a traditional Irish fiddle tune called 'Ur Cnoc Cein Mhic Cainte' Gaelic for 'The Fresh Hills of Cein Mhic Cainte') that is the ultimate "chicken soup for the soul" for me.

No, He's a Pirate

Ahhh, bliss...I have my frozen yogurt, I have my Clark teddy bear in his pirate pjs, and I'm all snugly in my bed watching Pirates of the Caribbean. Life is good.

Today was yet another uneventful day in the life of an unemployed pirate. I did clean my room and make a new Lois and Clark music video, so I guess the day wasn't a total waste. I really hope I hear soon about the job. I'm becoming downright lazy, and that doesn't really seem healthy.

I have no idea what I will do tomorrow. I'm getting a little tired of sitting around the house all day, but going out shopping or even spending much on gas right now seems unwise. I'm sure I can find productive things to do at home if I look for them. There are always bathrooms to clean and laundry to do and floors to be mopped. The question is, will I actually do these things, or will I sit around like a bum?

Well, the end of the movie is near, and I need to go swoon over Will Turner in his rockin' awesome hat and that lovely "no, he's a pirate" kiss.



"Perhaps, on the rare occasion pursing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course."

Sigh...

Silly Parties and Some Serious Reflection

The Breaking Dawn release party was absurdly boring. There were heated debates by the Team Edward and Team Jacob people. It was basically a bunch of teenage girls gathered around and talking turns giving their opinion on the matter. There was this girl in a makeshift tent with a sign that said, "Ask Alice." She was using some sort of cards to tell people their futures...totally ridiculous considering that Alice doesn't use cards or crystal ball or anything other such nonsense. Most of the girls there had made t-shirts with iron on transfers and puff paint that had various Twilight related quotes or slogans on them. At one point a ton of people crowded around a tiny TV to watch trailers and behind the scenes clips from the upcoming movie. Everything they played is readily available on the internet, and I felt no need to throw myself into the insanity. FINALLY midnight came, and we all lined up, bought our books, and went home. I did enjoy hanging out with my sister and some friends though. We probably would have had more fun hanging out somewhere else, but oh well. At least I got my book.

I started reading as soon as I got home, and read till I fell asleep. I woke up at 11:00 AM and started reading again. I finished it this evening around 5:30. I'm not sure how I felt about it. Somehow it didn't read like the other books in the saga. It certainly was a page turner, and yet not in the same way that the others were. In a way, it almost felt like reading fanfic, something I tend to stay away from. Perhaps once I process it all and read it again (and naturally I will read it again), I will have a better opinion of it.

This evening at choir practice, as we were singing about the blood of Christ, I began to think about Twilight (blood and vampires, you can see the correlation, right?). Now, don't misunderstand me, I am not the sort of person who thinks that there is some kind of deeper spiritual meaning behind every piece of literature. However, I do think that, as a Christian, it is good for me to be able to relate what I read to my walk with Christ. I was thinking about the "newborns" in the books - those who had just become vampires - and how in the early stages of their new found existence all they can think about is their terrible thirst for blood. It overpowers them and becomes the absolute most important thing in the world. Eventually though, they are able to control themselves and consider their other needs and desires. Now, clearly in the case of the vampires this is a good thing, but aren't we a bit like that as Christians? In the beginning there is that "thirst" for the things of God. Reading the Bible and spending time in prayer are not chores, not everyday mundane things. Instead they consume us. Then, as time goes by, that "thirst" begins to dull. We still want God as a part of our lives, but other things begin to crowd out that desire – make it less potent. I don't want to be like that, but the truth is that I am. I allow so many other things to get in the way of what should be the most important thing to me. I let so many days go by without even opening my Bible. I worry and stress about things or just push them out of my mind instead of giving them over to God in prayer. Then, because I am not spending the time in his presence that I need to be, little habits start to creep up that I know shouldn't have any place in the life of a Christian. I find my attitude and thoughts begin to stray into places that they should not go. My relationship with Christ is simply not what it should be. So what should I do about this? I am always resolving to do better - to start reading my Bible everyday again and strengthen my prayer life. It goes well for a couple days, but then something gets in the way and I let it slide again and begin the same, familiar, downward spiral. I want to do better - I MUST do better - because giving anything less than my all for the one who gave everything for me is absolutely unacceptable.

My hope and prayer is that putting down my commitment in this blog, for all the world to see (or the 3 people who actually look here every once in awhile), will help to keep me motivated to keep Christ at the center of my life…the very core of my being. I am committing myself to set aside time everyday to spend in the Word and in serious prayer. This starts today. Now. As soon as this is posted I am going to spend some serious time with the Lord. I would like to ask those of you who share my convictions to keep me in your prayer and help keep me accountable.

Psalm 51:1-12

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Faith, Children, Pool Guys, and Vampires

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

The job hunt continues. I have one possible lead, but so far it's going nowhere. I should be stressed and freaking out, but instead I feel strangly calm about the whole situation. Then again, maybe it's not so strange. After all, God has never given me a reason to doubt that He will take care of me. Why would he stop now? When I look back on my life, I can see His hand guiding me at every turn.
I am certain that this will be no different. The verse I quoted at the top of this post reminds me that if I am faithful in following the direction of the Lord, he will guide me along the right paths. Now, if only I can keep myself from trying to go my own way instead of paying attention to where He is leading!

On another note, I had a nine year old try to set me up today. Am I wearing a sign that says, "please find a man for me"? I sure don't see one! A guy came to clean the pool at the family's house where I nanny. The 9 year old looked outside and whispered something to his sister who said to me, "Miss Lauren, the pool guy's left hand is free." I was puzzled by her comment and asked her what she meant. Her brother whispered to her again, and she said, "His ring finger is empty." At this point I got what was going on and started laughing. Needless to say, I did NOT rush outside and try to seduce the poor, unsuspecting pool guy.

Confession: I am in love with the Twilight Saga. I did not plan to fall in love with these books, and I was certainly a bit late in jumping on the bandwagon. However, once I started reading them I knew they were going to be the kind of books that I would devour in one sitting. Who knew I would ever be into vampire stories? Tonight (or tomorrow morning-however you choose to look at it) the fourth book is being released at midnight. My friend, who hasn't even read the books, has agreed to go with me to the release party. I'm sure it will be an insane event with squeeing teenage fangirls, but I don't really care. I always wanted to go to one of the Harry Potter release parties but never did. Maybe this will help to make up for it. I am not, however, planning to dress up for it. That would be crossing the line. Of course, if it were a pirate party, that would be a different story. ;)