Month: May 2015

Pre-Disneyland Excitement

A few posts ago, I mentioned Chris and I signed up to run the second Avengers Half Marathon this November in Disneyland. Not only is it exciting to run an Avengers themed half marathon, it will ALSO be our first time visiting Disneyland itself. Being a Midwesterner, my family took me to Disney World several times growing up… In November, I’ll be able to say I’ve been to both parks.

To say I’m a Disney nerd is… Putting it lightly. Growing up, all I pretty much ever watched was Disney films. Whether it was singing “Everybody wants to be a cat” or feeling morosely when Mufasa took the fall, I was all in the Disney fever. Today… I still watch and play (looking at you, Kingdom Hearts) a lot of Disney. So you can only imagine how much Disney hype is going on in my head with only 5 months and 20 days to go until I see the land of the mouse.

(Yes, the countdown is on.)

My Top 5 Reasons for Excitement for Disneyland

  1. The Food – If Disneyland is anything like Disney World in the terms of their food, my stomach is ready. While we won’t be able to eat all of our food from the parks (talk about eating out your wallet), we’re already looking into a few different places we’d like to check out. Bayside Brews to definitely be one of them. Mmm… Craft beer and pretzels; key to my own heart.Bayside Brews... Brews
  2. Disneybound-ing – When I first found out about Disneybounding a few years ago, my interests were perked. Wanting to dress up as characters AND going to Disney parks as said characters? Do you even have to ask? While I don’t have a serious list planned, I do already have a few ideas in mind.DisneyBounding
  3. The Rides – Fast? Heck yes. Spinning? Yes please. Roller coasters? Bring it. Amusement Parks to me were always about the rides (especially the roller coasters), and now I’ll get to try several new rides. Radiator Springs Racers being my most anticipated ride. Speaking of…Radiator Springs Racers
  4. Cars Land – When they first announced Cars Land several years ago, I was both excited and bummed. Cars is one of my favorite Pixar movies, despite the mixed reviews it received (probably because I grew up watching Nascar with my dad.) So while it was awesome they were opening several attractions for the movie, I wasn’t sure when I was going to get to see it since it was in Disneyland. Now, I KNOW I’m going to get to see it.Cars Land
  5. The Avengers Half Marathon – The reason that got us to go in the first place. Honestly… What could beat dressing up with other fellow Avenger geeks and running 13.1 miles through Disneyland and Anaheim?Avengers Half

Have you ever been to Disneyland and have any recommendations? Or do you want to go and have something you’re also looking forward to doing there?

Broken Cupid: When the Relationship Ruins the Show

Wednesday night. Sitting on our couch in front of the TV, I was hopeful and excited to see the season finale for Arrow.

By the end, I was tweeting with frustration my feelings on said finale.

My feelings on the pairing of Oliver/Felicity are pretty well known (to people who know me anyways). Felicity has been a fun, witty character throughout the series who I have liked. When the writers of Arrow started hinting romance between her and Oliver (the Arrow for those who did not know), I started being filled with dread. Their banter and conversations felt more brother/sisterly to me, and less like a good, solid couple. Then they started changing the characters themselves. Felicity by the end of this series was being less smart, and more demanding and thoughtless about what she did before she did it. Oliver, spoiler alert, left his life to become some guy driving off in a car NOT protecting his city that he had been swearing to do ever since episode one.

Oliver & Felicity

While I’ll probably give the next season a chance, for reasons like to see what happens with Laurel Lance/Black Canary, I’m disappointed. This show use to be more about action/adventure/mystery, and less about drama and relationships. Since they gave Oliver and Felicity feelings for each other, there’s been way too many dramatic verbal fighting and pouting between the two then I can stomach.

There are several shows that have been like this for me growing up. For example, manga/anime wise, Vampire Knight: childhood friend, Zero, was a much healthier match for the heroine, Yuki, and they ended up sticking her with the dramatic and brooding Kaname. Naruto, they stick the heroine with the guy who has beat her up physically AND mentally the past 200 episodes and they put the hero with a girl he never showed romantic feelings for until the show shows them married. Vampire Knight was ruined for me because Yuki was changed into a different, apathetic, uninteresting character. Naruto was ruined because… Seriously, putting someone with an abuser, both physically and mentally? Not only that, but the once strong female character is turned into a housewife.

While it’s not bad enough to kill the series for me, especially with how great the rest of the storyline has been going, The Flash’s Barry and Iris drama has me rolling my eyes. Growing up in the same house is one thing, and not that huge of a deal, but Iris has pretty much told Barry “no” to being in a relationship several times, yet keeps the other girls from dating him through manipulation. It’s twisted, and I really hope the writers fix Iris’ character before developing this relationship any further.

Barry & Iris

I’m not the kind of person to stop watching a show because two people I thought should be together, don’t end up together… I am, however, the kind of person to stop watching a show when the writers change characters so they do end up together.

Do you have any TV shows you stopped watching or started disliking because you disliked what they did with the characters and relationships?

Em’s Week Adventures

This past week has been one of the most fun and nerdy ones this year. Winter is no longer keeping us locked inside and the sunny, warm Spring weather has me out and about.

Thursday AND Saturday night I saw The Avengers: Age of Ultron and enjoyed it thoroughly both times. It must have had to do with the witty, Joss Wheedon one-liners, great acting by the cast, and more Hawkeye screentime.

-SPOILERS, HIGHLIGHT TO READ- I wasn’t quite sure why people didn’t enjoy the fact that Clint had a family. Sure, I know ships were sunk, but I felt like that was a nice plot twist. Also wasn’t quite sure why people were so upset about Natasha’s story either. Yes, she was upset when she revealed to Banner her sterilization in the Red Room, but I feel like she was more upset by the fact that she didn’t get to choose if she could have a child or not.

Also, that Quicksilver ending. Chris had me believing half way through the movie the first time that Hawkeye was going to die. “They’re revealing too much of his background story.” He whispered throughout the movie. He even started grabbing my hand through the battle in Slocovia. When Ultron fired those shots from the plane, my hand was squeezed and I couldn’t help but think, ‘Oh shit oh shit oh shit.’ Quicksilver was pretty much right on the dot. I didn’t see that one coming.–END SPOILERS-

Comic Book Day 2015 Stash

Saturday, as everyone knows, was Free Comic Book Day. We went to our favorite local comic shop who was having a small event. We grabbed a few comics as well as a commissioned sketch from a local artist. I asked for Hawkeye while wearing my “Because, Boomrangs” shirt from the Matt Fraction & David Aja comics, and the artist knew my taste. I got Clint Barton AND Pizza Dog. Spot on.

Hawkeye & Pizza DogMonday AND Wednesday Chris and I were in St. Louis watching Cardinals vs Cubs baseball. Both were fun games, and we ended up evening out in the end. Cardinals won Monday, Cubs won Wednesday. I did however win the war, as Cardinals took the series. Those are my boys.

Busch Stadium

While in St. Louis on Wednesday, we stopped by a comic shop I use to visit frequently during my St. Louis living era. Star Clipper, which had closed in one area, reopened in another part of town. I of course had to check it out. While it had the same vibe as the one I had frequented before, the new one felt more… Refreshed. I also liked chatting with the staff, nice to be around friendly fellow nerds.

Star Clipper

Friday night was spent seeing Matt & Kim live in concert. If you don’t know Matt & Kim, give them a listen. If you haven’t seen them live, go do so as soon as they are close to your neighborhood. I learned about Matt & Kim while I was in college, and have continued to love them because of their upbeat and energetic tunes. Their concert is just as upbeat and energetic, and we partied (aka jumping and screaming/singing) until close to midnight. (Their opening act, Waters, was good as well with their rock/upbeat music.)

Matt & Kim