And this is why I blog....

Tonight I went to a special screening of Julie and Julia (thanks Gabi from Yelp!). The movie is based on Julie Powell's year-long adventure, tackling ALL of Julie Child's recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. When I saw the previews for this movie a few months ago I didn't realize it was based on a blog-turned-memoir. When I learned that the film was based on a book I ventured to Borders late one Friday night at the end of a VERY long week. I brought the book home and DEVOURED it. Julie Powell is such an amazing representation of the blogging community. She is honest, giving her readers the good, bad, ugly, frivolous, messy, temperamental, ecstatic, ridiculous aspects of her year of cooking. It shows people how important a blog can be to their author.

I was SO hesitant when I began thinking of blogging. The friends I have who started blogs were engaged, married, buying houses, having babies, et cetera. I didn't think I had anything WORTHY of writing about. So, I registered my blogger account and waited. Read my friends' blogs, and waited. Then, I bought a condo and thought, "hmmmm, wouldn't it be lovely to share photos of my condo with family members who don't live near me?" So I took some pictures, and posted them. I told my mom, my aunt, my grandma and Julie. After their positive responses I told a couple more friends, Kelley and JuliAnna. Then, I found MORE people I knew who had blogs and SO enjoyed reading about their lives. For example, The Devingers, The Connellys, The Hemperlys and The Schraders. I was, and am, SO VERY INSPIRED. Inspired to try new things, make a few crafts, share my thoughts and feelings and to WRITE about them. The thing that I love about blogging is that there is no obligation. I post with no expectations, and because of that, have been able to post anything and everything I want. I love that, unlike sharing through email or phone conversations, there is no pressure for people to respond or react. However, when they do (a' la the comments section) I'm thrilled!

Blogging has given me an incredible outlet. It encourages me to focus on the positive aspects of my life, even when I have to dig and dig and dig to find something good. As some of you may know, this has NOT been a good 2 years.

Honestly, it has been the most difficult time of my life. Blogging keeps me focused on the positive. I can share my goals, dreams, silly childhood memories and fun photos. When I can't think of anything positive to blog about in the present, I think about my past, my childhood and choose my BEST memories. This gives me peace, thinking of how many good memories I have. Some of my funniest, cleverest posts are at times in my life when I am in the deepest, darkest moments of sadness and despair. Blogging is a helping hand (as cheesy as that may sound) reaching out, pulling me up and out of my sad.

My first 'stranger' comment was on a totally random post I did about FRY DAY, a ridiculously fun and silly tradition from my childhood. I loved that sharing something that makes me smile, made someone else smile. Someone I don't even know!

Blogging also provides a forum for sharing my dreams and goals, and keeps me accountable to those goals. I love when sharing something I want to accomplish that people ask me how I'm doing, how things are coming along. Since the first 'stranger' comment, I've been blessed with many new blog commenters who have been such an inspiration. Other 'stranger' comments have come from some of my favorite bloggers! These include Alicia, Ashley and Annie. I love reading about their lives, looking at their fun activities, crafts, vacations and happenings. Blogging has also allowed me to connect with people I never in a million years thought I would have contact with past high school or college. Check out Jasmine's blog. We were both HBHS Oilers. :) I knew who she was in high school (and I think we had freshman english together with Mrs. Morehouse) but we never hung out. Now, I look forward to reading her posts every.single.day. I love learning about her life! She was even featured on Glamour's website which is so, hrrrmmm, Glamorous!

And THIS, my dears, is what Julie and Julia is all about. CONNECTING. Finding something good in the every day. Julie didn't set out to change her life through blogging, she just needed a project because her quickly approaching 30th birthday was overwhelming! Julie Powell started her blog at a 'down' time in her life. Julia Child wrote an autobiography about her life in France, about a lull in her life when she really had NO idea what to do with herself. She found a purpose in cooking. Her cookbook and correspondence with her pen pal became her 'blog', her outlet, her place to share her aspirations and information about the great loves of her life: cooking and her husband, Paul.

I feel a connection to both of these wonderful people. Julie Powell because of her frustrations with her dead end job (my job is certainly not dead end, and definitely not as monotonous as JP's, but some days I feel SO STUCK, frustrated and discouraged that it takes everything I have to stay at work until clock-out-time) and Julia Child because of her abnormal height and childlike delight with the wonders of a new world in Paris. So inspiring!

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are DELIGHTFUL as Julia and Paul Child. I loved watching their love on screen. Truly adorable. Amy Adams and Chris Messina are so real. They portray the real-life Julie and Eric Powell brilliantly. Be ready to leave hungry. The food they cook looks DEEEEEEELISH! Upon exiting the theatre, roomie and I drove straight to the grocery store to buy brie, green apples, french bread and wine.

The ONLY complaint I have about the movie is the chewing noises. Chewing is my NUMER ONE issue in life. I hate noisy chewers. I almost left the theatre during the bruschetta scene at the beginning of the film. Julie's husband is the loudest chewer I have ever seen in a movie. Disgusting. And by the way, actors who play the Powell's friends, chew with your GODDAMNEDMOUTHSCLOSED and don't talk with a MOUTH FULL OF FOOD! I don't care how good it is. Just wait until you're done swallowing to compliment the chef. I realize that not everyone went to etiquette school and cotillion (like MOI) but really, surround sound chewing is completely unnecessary.

In closing, I leave you with one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies. Sometimes it's nice to just get it out there, into the void, as seen in this clip (btw, enjoy the {hindu???} subtitles! It was the only version I could find on youtube. :))

So, goodnight dear void. Thank you fellow bloggers.