How in the Hades!?!?!?!

    Obviously, this post is about Rick Riordan's newest work, The House of Hades. I read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and I had to read the first three books of the Heroes of Olympus series in bits and pieces online. My best friend has read every book, and is currently waiting for our local library to call her so she can pick up her reserved copy of the new book. We were hoping that this book would be the lovely conclusion we had been hoping for since PJO ended. From reading the reviews of the book on Amazon and reading a portion from the book that was posted online, I am, unfortunately, disappointed. The scene in which Nico di Angelo admits to being gay does not seem to be written in the same style as pretty much anything else I have read of Riordan's. The idea of Nico knowing "which way he swings" is also a little out there for me for a few reasons as well. One, Nico was a hyperactive ten year-old when he met Percy; ten year-olds most likely do not know that they are gay and have crushed on their first cousin(s). When Percy and Annabeth started dating, Nico was twelve, which still seems to young to know one's sexuality. At the time this book should take place, Nico should be about thirteen or fourteen. I know a lot of teens and preteens who claim to be bisexual or homosexual as young as thirteen, but unless one has actually experimented with the opposite sex or the same sex at least once, how can one actually know what they are?
            My younger sister is thirteen, fourteen in February, and she claims to be bisexual. When our mother said that she was most likely bi-curious at this point, she snapped and said she was bisexual and that our mother did not know what she was talking about, and added in that she may not have made-out with another girl, but she does not need to in order to know that she is bisexual.
            My former closest friend, now a friend of my sister's, says that he is gay. He most likely is, but he also does things to anger his family, simply because they get on his nerves.
           In today's world, people say and do anything, and anyone, to get the attention they crave. In addition to that, I think that Riordan may be trying to give Nico the, what I like to call, "Avatar Aang" or "Captain America" effect. Nico was basically frozen at age ten for sixty to seventy years, much like Aang was trapped in the ice burg [thought that was for 100 years] or how Steve Rodgers was frozen. However, freezing a character at a certain age does not mean the brain of the character can advance to the age the character would normally be in all cases. This rings especially true for Nico as he had his memories erased before being placed in the Lotus Hotel and Casino.
             Maybe I give the innocence of a child's mind a little too much credit, but through all Nico di Angelo has gone through in the PJO/HoO series, I cannot find a plausible reason for the character of Nico di Angelo to be gay, how it would come about that he is gay, or  why he would tell Jason Grace, of all people, that he is gay. Possibly, it is just me being overly rational and realistic.

It Gets Me Every Time...Always

Until August of 2011, I had never cried due to a movie. Seriously, I never did! But during a long weekend from school, Labor Day weekend, I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. That series was the first series of books I ever read, with The Chronicles of Narnia, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and yes, Twilight following it. Though I have loved each series dearly, the Harry Potter series is the one I have read, re-read, watched, and re-watched more than any other. Barring the sixth movie, I have never been terribly disappointed with a Harry Potter film. Sure there were some things that I wish had not have been changed, and there were a lot of things left out I would have kept, but they were not changes that I could not understand.

As I watched Deathly Hallows Part 2, I waited, for I knew what was coming. If you have yet to see this or read the last book all the way through, stop reading and read the book, or see the movie. My tears began when the twins asked each other if they were okay, mostly because I knew Fred would not be for much longer, mostly because I knew he would be crushed by a wall. They, as to say my tears, increased as the movie moved along. I had pulled my knees up to my chest when Severus Tobias Snape was struck dead by Lord Voldemort and his snake familiar, Nagini. His memories, especially the parts not in the book(ex. Snape holding Lily's body) made my tears multiply. I simply could not stop crying, and when Lily spoke the one word that meant so much, when she said "Always", I had cried so much that everyone around me had started crying. I even cried as the credits took rolled for the last time.

I had not realized how much the end of the series would affect me. I had not cried at the end of the book, nor had I cried when so many of the characters had died. Thinking back to it, I now realize that is was the fact that is was my childhood that was fading along with Daniel Radcliffe's face. I had lost many friends that very year, mostly because I was girly and they were more tomboy-ish. Then I lost Harry too.

Now, every time I watch the final Harry Potter film, I cry like a baby. I am not ashamed, seeing as how I actually embrace it. I was, and still am, attached to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even Severus. I can never not cry when I hear that one word though, Always.

My Little Vampire

My cousin, shown with me in my profile picture, just watched one of my favorite movies with me the other day. We sat in my grandmother's dining room, watching The Little Vampire on YouTube. She told me later that she wants to be a vampire this Halloween. I think she should be Anna from The Little Vampire (Above). Watching it with her just made me feel old, I guess, because that movie is twelve years old, and she's five! I guess that is proof as to true Disney magic, because that movie never gets old.

No More Vacations!

Ever since I can remember, I always went on some sort of trip during the summer. My grandfather died last October, which kind of means those trips will never happen again. My mother is too poor to spend money on a family vacation, and my father, if you can call him that, is more worried about spending his money to go and see his girlfriend in Australia in September. Before anyone asks, my parents got divorced when I was three. My step-father has not had money since before he married his first wife. When he was a kid, he always went on educational vacations. My mother went to Disney World once as a child. My sister and I have been several times, but our baby sister is ten years old and has never been more farther from Mobile, Alabama than Birmingham, Alabama.(And that was because my maternal grandfather passed away!) Her only ever vacation was to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and even so, that was nearly six years ago! Some might say I sound like a spoiled brat, but really, summers in Florida and Tennessee are all I really know. The summer before I started middle school, we, as to say my paternal grandparents, my paternal aunt, my sister, and myself, went to the Mall of America and Chicago. Every time I mention a trip to either of my parents, all I hear is, "We don't have the money for that." or, "I'm saving up to go to Australia! I can't spend money on whatever you want to do!" I know life is not meant to be fair, but is it meant to be this unfair?

Stupid People of the Day

1) People who have no clue what Harry Potter is even about: http://malignantlybenign.tumblr.com/ask My five year old cousin is smarter than this.

2) People who have no clue what NCIS is about: http://trueslant.com/donovan/2010/01/26/really-america-ncis/ Sure it is not Law & Order, but they are the NCIS MCRT(Major Case Response Team) and are more like a family than you see on almost any other show out there. Father: Leroy Jethro Gibbs; Mother: The late Jennifer Shepard, R.I.P.; Oldest Son: Anthony D. DiNozzo, Jr.; Baby Sister/Daddy's Favorite: Abigail Sciuto (SHOO-toe); Tony's Girlfirend/Gibbs' Other Favorite: Ziva David; Abby's Boyfriend/Tony's Best Friend or Little Brother; Uncle: Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard; Youngest Boy/  Uncle's Favorite: James "Jimmy" Palmer. They are a family, albeit a dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless.

3) People who cannot tell the difference between an overgrown WOLF and a large, BEARlike, BLACK DOG! http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101217083907AATG26V

4) People who do not seem to understand humor: http://eyerollingmom.wordpress.com/tag/jeff-dunham/ I love Jeff Dunham. He is extremely funny and turns some of our worst fears and experiences into something we can laugh about.

5) People who believe Jethro Gibbs and Abigail Scuito should be a romantically involved couple: http://gabbyfans.freeforums.org/gabby-the-misunderstood-ship-t128.html Abby sees Gibbs as a father figure. Similarities in their actions have cause some rumors that they may actually be related, or even that the birth mother of Abby and her brother Kyle, who may be her twin, though we have no exact sense how much of an age difference there is between them, was Shannon Gibbs, ‭née Fielding. Jethro knew his first wife for a little while before they married. There are several ways these things could be possible, but Gibbs and Abby would never be a coupe. It would be too strange and odd.

There you have it, today's top five idiots. Hope you enjoy these small minded people. :D

Just Another Day with More Stress...

I do not need stress. I was told this by my doctor. Even though I have said this, no one seems to understand this. My cousin insists on creating more and more drama! He breaks up with a girl to date MY BEST FRIEND, who, mind you, is nearly four and a half years younger than him. When she gets a boyfriend a reasonable year older than she is, he doesn't talk to her for a few months. He then dates a girl three and a half years younger than he is. After he breaks up with her, he goes back to girl one. A few weeks later, back to girl two, not my best friend, by the way. They broke up not more than a month ago, but then he went out with girl one again. He gets me involved because I hear both sides and cannot believe how stupid he is. Girl two is my friend as well, but she is sensitive. I hate seeing her hurt like this, but he just makes her hurt. My cousin is eighteen, my best friend is just  fourteen. Girl two is about fifteen as well. He needs to find a girl his own age and stick with her.

I Miss You

On Tuesday, October 18, 2011, my grandfather passed away. I remember him calling me his Angel, Sunshine, Heart, World, Porcelain Doll, and Thing One. HE used to sing me the Johnny Cash song "Sunshine" and hold me close. I have a younger sister, age 11, and three cousins, ages 6, 5, and 3. While my sister has some great memories of him, my cousins do not. My grandfather, Paw Paw, was a great man, but was also an alcoholic. He became drunk so often it was almost considered normal. With his passing I realize that I must move on and pass on my memories of him to the younger children. I miss him, and I find that the song "I Miss You" by Miley Cyrus fits my relationship with my Paw Paw. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZOlRR6-YYk   and remember, I do not own this song, nor am I a big Miley Cyrus fan.