dear john

jay and i have recently been priviledged to an occasional day off together during the work-week, which means afternoon dates while our sons are in preschool!  on our most recent outing, i chose to watch the film Dear John.  nicholas sparks + channing tatum = how could i resist? 

i love nicholas sparks' novels.  he is extremely eloquent and classy in his writng.  he never fails to illustrate the perfect love - timeless and unconditional.  i find myself rooting for the couples that he's created, in that their love will prevail!, as much as i rooted for romeo and juliet when i was a teenager.

i first discovered channing tatum in Step Up a few years ago, not that i hurried to the theater or movie rental store to see it.  we subscribed to hbo at the time, and it seemed like the only movie on t.v. that was worth giving a try.  Step Up didn't make an impression on me; however, channing tatum sure did.  he won me over with his later roles in Stop-loss, Fighting, and particularly, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, for which he was nominated a Gotham Breakthrough Award and an Independent Spirit Award for best supporting male actor.

photo courtesy of http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

i haven't read Dear John, although i was tempted to.  but i had longed to see the movie (it's been some time since i saw a good romantic drama, and i am a sucker for such sappiness) that i didn't want to ruin it for myself by previewing the novel.  the movie was good, though not nearly in the ballpark of The Notebook.  while it contained the elements of a nicholas sparks' love story - wonderful laughter and heart-wrenching tears, i didn't care for the twist in the plot.  the choice that savannah, the lead female character, had made wasn't very realistic for a modern-day woman of this era.  i didn't agree with the ending either.  after all that was said and done, i thought, "really?"  in reference to the story portrayed in the film, i don't feel that Dear John is one of nicholas sparks' best. 

channing tatum, on the other hand, was pretty awesome.  tatum, who usually plays the macho, tough guy, proved that he can hold the role of a loving and loveable character.  he and his co-star, amanda seyfried, who is truly adorable, were a perfect match.  the way they eyed each other, touched each other, and spoke to one another - you could tell they shared real chemistry, more than what i could remember between tatum and his wife, jenna dewan, in Step Up.  (actually, i was surprised that they married - who would've thought?)  it was tatum's and seyfried's acting and their partnership that made the film Dear John worth seeing.

new year, new blog

i decided to start off my 2010 with a blog. not sure why yet. its been on my mind for the last few years. ive been to many mommy blog sites, especially ones with multiples, and a couple of years ago, i thought i should try it. it would be a great way to let families and friends know how and what we're doing. if mommies of triplets and more can do it, i can too! but i quickly put it out of my head. i tried to think of something to write about, the only thing that would pop out of my mind was a blank page. i just didnt have the time or energy. two or three years earlier, if you asked me something after ive put my sons to bed, i wouldve looked at you with confusion and responded, "huh?".

then last year i created a newsletter of our autumn events and activities and emailed them to family and friends. it was surprisingly easy, and i managed to finish it within a week. i received raved reviews. it was supposed to be an on-going quaterly thing until a friend suggested that i do a ... you guessed it, blog. she thought what i did in the newsletter was worth doing on the internet. i was shocked by her compliment, though thrilled and excited.

so on the free blog searches and pages i went. i signed up for a few - maybe a handful, i dont remember which ones they were. unfortunately, i was quickly discouraged. i didnt have the kind of control and freedom i wanted with the layouts. pictures would appear too big or too small. i was limited to pasting or including things on one side of the page but not the other. i dont know, there were just these little things that irritated me. but a free page is a free page, right? what more could i ask for? and that was that.

then i saw the movie Julie and Julia a few nights ago. loved it! it was cute, and a really down-to-earth success story, the kind that anyone could truly live - not one of those success stories that happens to only one in a gazillion people. anyway, so the movie brought me back to the blog thing again. it was my inspiration, if you want to call it that.

unlike julie powell, though, im not a writer. i really dont know how to write - at least not well enough to believe that i can captivate an audience. the only experience ive had were with school newspapers and yearbooks, which were XX years ago. what good is that? heck, im not even a conversationalist. i am the listener. the one who maintains the eye-contact, nods, asks questions, and giggles or laughs (depending on what i think is expected of me) on cue. i dont volunteer or divulge much information. i dont know how to be clever, witty, humorous, or sarcastic either.

julie powell also had a project to blog about. i dont have a specific goal or subject. no special talent or skill. no "wow" experience or knowledge to share. my life is pretty ordinary. its just me, my husband, our three sons, and our (boy) dog. dont get me wrong, i love and appreciate this life of mine. the question is, will everyone else?

as the saying goes, "you wont know until you try" or something like that. so, here i am world ... hit me!