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Merry Christmas, y'all.  ....I guess I kind of want to apologize for my lack of enthusiasm – I was busy beforehand, and now I'm just tired.  Soooooooooo tired.  And sick.  Finally, after all the coughing going on around here, I've begun to feel miserable.  Oh, my spirits are high – that's one good thing.  And I just want to do something, but I'm too tired and weary.  All my body wants to do is eat or sleep, but I don't actually want to do either.  –In that complicated, restlessness way sickness has.

On another topic:
In a previous post, I mentioned that I am on Facebook now.  I like it a lot – it's handy for the little things you want to share with your friends.  But it's dangerous.  It can be addicting, and it can be disappointing.  I put things on Facebook because I'm bored and/or lonely.  But checking Facebook does not satisfy my need for attention.  It's not really interaction – it's like a bulletin board at the office.  It's much better to talk to your coworkers than to leave them bulletins.  I've come to really miss everybody I used to see every day – now they occasionally put something on Facebook and so I know that they're still alive and I smile when I read what they share.  But something is really missing in online interaction.

"Addiction to Likes" is not a theory.  Or a myth, or an exaggeration.  ....But that's all I'm saying on that matter. ;)

But I know that Facebook really helps to keep some people in touch – certain relatives have mentioned to me that they are grateful for my online presence because it makes them feel like they're still part of my life and I'm a part of theirs, while physically I'm miles away.

~Meggy

The Grand Hall

It was nearing 1 o’clock in the morning and the sliver of moon provided minimal light to their journey.  Many of the street lamps were not lit.  They scampered from shadow to shadow, never walking directly into the light cast by the glowing street lamps or lighted windows.  Erin’s eyes investigated every sound, checking over her shoulder.  Something exploded two streets over to the east, and just around the corner, a mob was stirring up trouble; but Aidan Roby led her round about in a very zig-zagging pattern.  They saw no one except a beggar hunched over, his hands covered in a frightening skin condition.  Aidan Roby tossed him a crust of bread and they hurried onward.

Their path grew darker as they neared the palace.  The street before the gates was completely black with the nighttime.  Aidan Roby took her by the arm and roughly drew her into the thick of the darkness.  Erin held her free arm before her and took careful steps on the uneven cobblestone.  When he let her go, he cautioned, “Don’t move – just a moment.”  Then he struck flint and a lantern fizzed into life.

The light revealed wrought-iron gates fifteen-feet tall, the design too closed to let even cats through.  Aidan Roby pushed it open and stood back to usher her ahead of him.

They scurried across an open space, unhindered, and Erin was prevented from crashing into the door only by Aidan Roby’s hand on her arm.  He took a key from a chain around his neck and clicked it through the lock.  The magnificent wooden doors swung open wide, unbarring the way to a great hall – large, wonderful, and mysterious.

Their shoes made displeasing noises on the floor, which echoed all through the cavernous hall.    The ceiling high above was plastered with paintings of cherubim floating among the clouds, revealed by large flickering chandeliers, which cast an eerie glow on the stone walls and mirrors.  Various surfaces shined and shimmered; and great columns trapped the luminescence within their boundaries, ruling over the hall with their grand design and splendor.

“I have never set foot here before,” Erin said, “and my father’s descriptions could never have prepared me for this.  What is this place?”

“It is the grand hall,” said Aidan Roby.  His voice, like hers, was hushed; but still it carried like a giant or a mighty king.  “This is where the king’s finest guard was used to stand, decked out in the epitome of flamboyance to impress visitors.  Often great balls were held in this same hall.”

“It’s magnificent,” she breathed.

~Meggy

Hobbit Hole

Okay, as long as everybody is writing about "The Hobbit," I feel I might as well get my share.  A lot of fans have a lot to say about the parallels to the books – I'm not even gonna go there.  I, long ago, accepted that movies can be different from the books and still be unbelievably good.  Having not read "The Hobbit" in quite a long time, I can't remember its perfections.  So I went into that movie with an open mind as far as the plot and lines were concerned.  And I thought it was amazing.

I was disappointed that the eagles weren't nearly as impressive as in ROTK, and some of the falls were a little... *ahem*... "What are you trying to pull?"  But that hardly put a dent in its awesomeness.  Gollum was killmenow awesome; Galadriel wasn't nearly as creepy – I fell in love with her finally; Elrond was endearing; Bilbo was perfect; the dwarves were great.  The music – THE MUSIC!!!

Depending on who you ask, the movie changed the plot from the book to varying degrees – but you have to admit that sometimes things have to be altered to fit the big screen.  No matter what they did, if you're a fan, you're gonna love certain aspects of the books way more than how its done in the movies. But it just doesn't work that way.  Narration techniques differ for the two mediums.  But I value the disappointment some fans have that certain lines or character personalities were not left unchanged.

And some fans were a little, shall we say, disturbed, by what was going on between Galadriel and Gandalf? I must say, it quite escaped my notice except as a very pleasing scene.  I loved their relationship – I don't think they necessarily had to be "flirting," or whatever it is y'all were thinking – just playing, as old friends do.  Now that you've got me thinking about it, all I can say is I expect it won't go any further than that.

Other than that, I'm going to try to restrain myself from saying anything "controversial."  Anyone reading this right now has probably already seen the movie and so has his own opinion.  And assuming that is so, he doesn't want to read something that is contrary to his own opinion – he wants something that affirms his opinion of it as great, fair to middling, or meh-okay.

All I'll say to close is I might just declare certain people as my friends so I can go see it again with someone.  <3

And perhaps I'll write a real review some day....

~Meggy