SQUEE (a sound of glee and excitement)

I am excited for these things to happen:

1. The Hobbit. I love the animated version. I grew up watching it with my brother, and I thought that Gollum (whose name I never knew and just called him the "my precious" thing) was the scariest fiction critter in the history of ever. I didn't read the book until I was much older (and had already seen and fallen in love with the first Lord of the Rings movie), but when I did, I bought my very own copy of the movie on DVD and I still pop it in to watch while doing laundry or whatnot around the house. My favorite thing about the cartoon is the music, and I know that will be different in Peter Jackson's live action version, but he did such an amazing job recreating that world for the other movies, I'm willing to let the music go to see this sotry come to life that way too. Also, Martin Freeman is playing Bilbo. I can't imagine anyone more perfect. At all. Ever. You know, he's the naked guy from Love, Actually. Yeah! I know! And, here's a true story about the casting: One day, my husband says to me, "Guess who they got to play Smaug! You're going to be so excited." And I did get excited, because the dragon Smaug is... epicly awesome. Anyway, my eyes got wide and I bounced in my chair and said, "Oh! Oh! Did they get Alan Rickman?!?! Beacuse, yes! That's perfect!!" Just picture it... big, smug, rich, powerful dragon lazing about on his horde of gold and treasure... what voice comes to mind? Alan Rickman! Yes! It has to be. Spoiler--it's not. Husband's exact words "No, the next best thing."  Me: "OooooooO!!!! Benedict Cumberbatch*!"  And I was right!

Also, if you want to see Martin Freeman & Benedict Cumberbatch before this movie (which doesn't come out until the end of next year), go to Netflix & look up the BBC 2010 version of Sherlock Holmes, which is set in modern London. Cumberbatch is Sherlock, Freeman is Holmes. It's brilliant. BRILLIANT!  There's supposed to be another season of that too, and I'm excited about that as well.

2. The final(?) Wheel of Time book. There are too many of these books already, because the plot just keeps getting more and more complicated with more twists and turns and not enough resolutions, and yet... I keep reading. Not just that, I like it. I like books with maps in the front, and while sometimes I find myself rolling my eyes at the choices the characters make, I'm still captivated by the story and want to find out the consequences of those choices. There's stuff that happened in the first 3 books that we're just now getting resolved at the end of book 13. It's overwhelming sometimes, and I'm not going to re-read all 13 books before the 14th comes out next year. At least, I don't plan to. I'll probably do 10-13 though, just to refresh. Plus, that's where some of my favorite stuff happens--mostly the relationships resolving, characters pairing off, stuff like that.

3. Feeling this baby start moving. Thursday night I got to feel my friend K's baby wiggling around. She's 6 months along with baby #2, and it's just such a bizarre thing. I know there probably will come a time when I'm sick of being poked in the ribs or kicked in the bladder, but right now, I'm looking forward to feelings those first flutters and what-not. It's maybe the only part of pregnancy that I've ever had any truly positive feelings about. The rest is all just means to an end. I'm trying to appreciate it as best I can, but really, I'm very much looking ahead to the child at the end of all this.

4. Finding out whether this is a boy baby or a lady baby. Alright, so pretty much since I found out I was all "in a family way" I've wanted to know if we were having a boy or girl. When I was growing up, I always thought I'd want to be surprised at the end. Then I realized that I was wrong. I want to know now. I'm still going to be surprised no matter when we find out. I just want to be surprised sooner rather than later. However, based on my last sonogram, where this child sat quite calmly and still, legs crossed, butt down, not cooperating in the least, I realized something. This is my baby we're talking about. Also, my husband's. Neither of us are particularly... cooperative people. We're stubborn, and prone to being contrary at times. I think this kid knows how much I want to start picking out hairbows or robots. I think that because of that, this kid is going to spend the next 5 months covering up the bathing suit area anytime a sonogram machine is within 5 miles. I have a strong feeling that we'll have to wait until we get Freckle out into the open air to discover that pink vs. blue secret. Then I imagine we'll have a kid who hates being clothed. Yeah, that would seem about right.

5. The chance to hang out with some of my internet ladies in February. Despite the "traveling while 7 months pregnant" part, I'm very excited to do two of my favorite things (eat and talk) with friends that I know through the wonders of technology.

6. Going to the Texas Renaissance Festival next weekend. Visiting TRF is totally different from working Scarborough Faire. It's like a field trip. It's only 1 weekend. We don't have to obey the costuming rules of our Faire (or their Faire for that matter). We can wander around and shop and eat and sing and not feel guilty about not talking to the plain clothes patrons, because it's not our job! Hooray! There are different shops and shows and friends. Plus, it's a chance to road trip with the Lace, and man, are we fun to travel with. Communal eating, grooming and shopping. I'm going to try some new things with my make-up, which reminds me that I have...

7. a 20% off my entire purchase for me AND A FRIEND coupon to Sephora!! Oh yes! And a gift card, so not only do I have free money, I have free money that will go EVEN FURTHER! Sephora is a store that I love to shop in even when I'm not buying. I love that they have everything out for you to touch and try and smell and put on. Kathleen is always looking for the perfect red lipstick. Diva wants glittery teal eyeliner that goes on in one coat and comes off without leaving crustules in her eyes. I think there's always another color of eyeshadow or eyeliner that I don't have that will make my whole life better, or the perfect mascara, or a SPF 30+ face lotion that doesn't smell like sunscreen or make me break out, or a new scent of bath gel that I just can't live without. So, right before leaving for TRF, I will take a Lace friend, we will go to Sephora and see what we just can't live without for 20% off!



*I swear to you, that's his real name. He himself said it sounds "a bit like a fart in the bath." And that's just one more reason why I like him. That, and he does an amazing Alan Rickman impression, so you know, there's that.