A Serial Addiction

I'm sitting here at my computer with a bowl full of milk waiting to be filled with cereal. In the kitchen I have 3 boxes and a bag of cereal. In my bedroom I have an astounding 7 boxes and 1 bag. One box is empty, but the point is clear. I have a serious addiction. I love cereal. Every time I'm in the grocery store I want to go look at the cereal aisle to see if my favorites are cheaper than normal. I'm not kidding! My biggest dilemma right now is choosing which box to open to fill my bowl with. They all taste so good!!! :)
Hi, my name is Heather Carlson, and I'm addicted to cereal.
I call myself the serial cereal buyer. :)

The Lord of the Rings

Tonight concluded a very cool experience for me. The theater close to where I live had a special one-time-only showing of the extended versions of all 3 in the trilogy of movies called The Lord of the Rings. I remember my junior (I think) year of high school was the year the first one came out. I saw it in the dinky theater in my hometown in Dugway. I had never read the books, nor did I have any clue as to what the story was about. I just thought it looked like a cool movie. I went out of pure curiosity. I left feeling slightly confused as to why the story line had not concluded (later to find out that there were 2 more movies that were to be released the next 2 years). But, I know that I loved the movie. I don't remember the exact timeline of events, but I'll just say it how I remember it. Everyone in my class was reading the books. So, I joined in. Of course! :) I was behind most of my friends the entire time (I'm not a big reader, and I had decided to read the Hobbit first). In class everyone talked about the books and it was soooooo hard. They had to be careful around me since they were talking about things I didn't know yet. The second movie came out and I was almost not able to see it. Thankfully I had a wonderful Young Women leader that took me and my friend, Julie, to go see it at the dollar theater at Trolley Square. I came out of the theater feeling even more confused and anxious to finish the books. (I think at that time I may have stopped reading out of pure lack of motivation) So, between the time Two Towers finished playing in theaters and the time the Return of the King came out I tore through the remaining books. I had already fallen in love with the music from the first movie and had the soundtrack playing constantly while I read the books. Howard Shore is a genius. Pure genius. That book and music came to define a lot of who I was in high school. Our class even used that ever-so-popular line "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." as our class moto. The music had a great deal to do with me choosing music education as my degree when I went to college.  I felt so inspired every time I listened to the soundtrack. 

So,  when I got to my freshman year of college I was so excited for the release of the final movie. I don't go to the movies very often, and to see a movie more than once in the theater was a big deal for me. I saw it 2 or 3 times....I'm pretty sure it was just 2, but I'm thinking I meant to see it a 3rd time but was unable to. Anyways. I have never surpassed that limit (well, until tonight I guess). I purchased all 3 movies in both the short and extended versions. I had all 3 soundtracks. I had a poster of Aragorn on my wall (yes, Aragorn, because Viggo Mortensen is intensely attractive) :). I watched the movies so many times that eventually I had to stop. I had watched enough of the extra stuff that the movies were no longer magical. The story was ruined for me. So, it has been at least 3 or 4 years since I have seriously watched any of the movies. 

Then, my roommate, Karlee, told me the weekend before all of this started that this special event was happening. I managed to change my schedule at work and purchased my tickets. The first movie showing was quite the experience. The first time I saw that movie I was still very much desiring the attention of a guy I knew and had a lot of emotions tied up with the movie. As I watched the movie again 3 weeks ago all of those emotions came flooding back (of course, that guy I wanted to date has since been married and I'm completely free of any feelings towards him). The music brought chills to my nervous system and I lost it at the end. It was such an awesome experience. 

Last week was The Two Towers. I think everyone can agree with me when I say that this was the hardest one to sit through. It wasn't literally the longest, but it felt like it. I still enjoyed it though.

Then, tonight...Ahhhh....tonight :)

My ultimate favorite scene in the movie is tied to a musical selection. It happens when you are taken across the tops of majestic, snow-covered mountains as the beacons of Gondor are lit. As the camera pans across the tops of mountains one hears this AMAZINGLY orchestrated chord progression (I've actually been nerdy enough to figure out the basics of it on the piano, although, no piano can match the grandeur of an entire symphony). Then, just when you think that the progression will never end (because it does progress, repeatedly), it resolves with a blaring brass fanfare whilst the strings are rushing beneath. It is the most epic cinematic/musical scene I think I have ever witnessed. I got goosebumps again tonight as I watched it. I seriously could've cried if I had let myself. It has been a LONG time since music has hit me like that. 

The rest of the movie is just fantastic. It was such a great experience to watch that tonight (and in past weeks). I was reminded of many things I have lost sight of. I have felt things I haven't felt in a long time. And, I felt an almost comfort for things to come. (That's a different blog altogether) 

It's funny to think that a movie could do that, but apparently it's possible!

I'm glad I was able to wait for so long to see the movies again and that I was able to see them like this. I don't know that I'll watch them again any time soon, just so I don't ruin it again. But, they have regained their spot (all 3 together as 1) on my top 3 movies list. (Joe Vs. the Volcano is #1 and Star Wars is #2) :)