A Ship to Remember

photo by vox3000

In honor of the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I decided to share my obsession with my faithful readers.  My fascination with the Titanic started when I was just a little kid.  We had big piles of National Geographic magazines, and I spent hours reading them.  Most kids would probably be drawn to the animal articles, but my favorite was always the archaeology.  Especially the one about Pompeii, but we'll talk about that later.  We had two magazines that featured the Titanic, and I remember staring at the pictures, thinking about that beautiful ship on the bottom of the ocean, frozen in time.

photo by jtedesco

 Sometimes I would wonder what it would have been like to be on it, to experience the whole thing.  Would I have lived or died?

So considering all of that, it was like a dream come true when I visited the Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri.  It was incredible, I recommend it to anyone who has the slightest interest in the Titanic or even just loved the movie.  Just don't take small children (my four year old son spend the whole time asking if we could go home yet).  The only problem I had was that they won't let you take pictures inside.  

Titanic Branson

It was extra special because it was the 100th anniversary of the sinking.  The attention to detail was fantastic, they even recreated the grand staircase, and they let you walk up it to the second floor.  One of my favorite parts was where they made it like you were walking out on the deck at night with stars everywhere and you could actually feel the chill in the air.  I swear you could smell the ice.  They also have recordings of survivors telling their stories that you listen to as you're walking through the museum.  There were many times that I was brought to tears.  Whole entire families were lost, others were separated forever.  Heroes were born that night as people gave up their spots in the lifeboats so that women could be with their children.  Fans of the movie would be happy to know that there was actually a J. Dawson on the ship, a fact that James Cameron didn't know until he had written the script.

photo by danielkoehlersfotos

Some other things the movie got right:  the band actually did play on, until the water was over their feet.  There was a party in third class that night.  A man named Eugene Daly, an Irish mechanic, played the bagpipes.  And of course, the captain did go down with the ship.  His reported last words were "Be British boys, be British!"

Capt. E.J. Smith
photo by Mr. History

I personally loved the movie, although I disagree with a few plot points. (Come on, two people could totally have fit on that raft!)  And what is a trip to the Titanic Museum without a few souvenirs?

A coffee cup, because I collect them

A couple of magnets

And my personal favorite, they take your picture and add the grand staircase behind you

So now my goal is to visit the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, home of oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic's final resting place.  They have an exhibit about the ship that looks absolutely awesome.  And they have hands-on stuff!  

And of course, my other goal is to travel on the Titanic II, which some people think is a bad idea, but I think would be completely amazing!  Yes, some Australian billionaire is actually recreating the ship.  (And I thought I was obsessed!)

One final note:  years ago, I bought a PC game about the Titanic.  You played it like you were a passenger trying to solve a mystery (and in my mind, possibly prevent the ship from sinking.)  It is a great game, I don't know if you could possibly find it anywhere now, but if you do run across it, give it a try.

Titanic: Adventure Out of Time

What's So Great About Poetry

April happens to be National Poetry Month, so I decided to share a little something that not everyone knows about me.  I used to write poems.  Back when I was an angst-ridden teenager, I wrote quite a few.

Now I'm married with children and I don't write nearly as much as I should.  But I still love poetry.  My favorites are e.e. cummings and Alfred Tennyson.  Very different writing styles, but both beautiful examples of the craft.  If you haven't read either one, please check them out.  I can give recommendations of some of their works, if you're interested.

I feel like poetry is really underappreciated these days.  Years ago, pretty much everyone wrote poems, but now novels are the big thing.  There are some websites out there that encourage writing poetry.  I've read some pretty good stuff on Wattpad, which mostly features younger authors.  Anything that encourages young people to write, I'm a fan of.

When I first started out, I wrote straight rhyming poems, but after I discovered e.e. cummings, I realized that poetry really doesn't have any rules.  It doesn't matter about your punctuation or your grammar or sentence structure or anything like that.  You just write what you feel, from your heart, and you can create beautiful things.  It's a good way to work out frustrations, sadness, express your happiness.  Poetry can help you to say things that you wouldn't be able to otherwise.

Here's a poem I wrote about twelve years ago, for your reading pleasure.  It's called Sweet Despair.

     I look for respite from my sweet despair
    A means of relief
    A way to purge this pain
    This horror at what I've done that blankets me,
    The shroud of blackness I have cast upon my life
    Can anything save me from my own heart?
    If there exists a way to cleanse my soul of this disgrace,
    I will leave no penance undone
    However great the cost
    Tears are not enough to soothe this wound
    Pain upon pain is what I deserve,
    But my coward self will not see me through
    I weaken, I fall, yet I never let go
   Tight on the edge of the world I hang
    I scream and I fight, I can't seem to give
    I walk through the fire
    But I live

Whew, see what I mean by being angst-ridden?  What about you?  Have you ever dabbled in poetry?  Do you just like reading it?

Why Robert Downey Jr Wins All The Awards

Today is a very important day in history.  On this day in 1965, Robert Downey Jr. was born.

Most of the people who know me know that I am a huge RDJ fan.  I believe they think I'm slightly obsessed.  So I decided that this would be an appropriate day to tell my readers why he is at the top of my list of favorite actors.

 But I do have one small confession to make first.  Come a little closer, I don't say this very often.

Robert Downey Jr. is not my favorite actor.

photo by quicheisinsane

I'm sorry Robert, but that spot was taken a long time ago and I have to be loyal.  But it's really close.  Almost a tie.

I can't remember the exact date when I became a RDJ fan. (See, I'm not that obsessed!)  I do know that it was after watching Only You for the first time.

 The movie came out in 1994, but it was probably a few years later that I actually saw it.  Since then, of course, he's made a lot of others, including Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes; but Only You will always be my favorite.  If you've never seen it, you should watch it immediately!  Robert plays Peter Wright, out to win the heart of Marisa Tomei, who thinks she is destined to marry a man named Damon Bradley.  And as you watch the movie, you wonder why she is running around chasing a guy she's never met when Mister Wright is standing in front of her.  Robert brings the great timing and quirkiness that he displayed in Chaplin.

And now this has turned into a movie review, which is not what I really intended.  So let's move on, shall we?

Let me tell you why Robert Downey Jr. is my second-favorite actor.  Now, I like a lot of actors, I'm pretty diverse.  But there's a few that I actually admire just as human beings.  Robert is one of those.  The fact that he went to jail (several times) and finally managed to pull himself together and come back better than before is something that I find very inspiring.  Say what you want about him, I know there are people out there who don't like him (seriously?  on this planet?); but not everyone can do that.  Now he has an incredible career, a beautiful wife, and a new baby boy, and I am truly happy for him.  His future is looking pretty bright.

photo by annie.kisskiss

He is also my favorite Avenger, which will have to be the subject of another more nerdy post.  And he is my second-favorite Sherlock Holmes.  He's a little bit silly, a quirky dresser, and witty.  I feel he's one of the most honest and down-to-earth actors out there.  When you see him on an interview, you're not getting the PC publicist's version.  That is the real thing.

So yes, I may be slightly obsessed.  I do drink my coffee from this cup every morning.

And yes, I have spent too much time watching RDJ tribute videos on YouTube.  But if my husband is willing to put up with this kind of craziness, I guess I'm not too far gone.

If you'd like to learn more about Robert Downey Jr, here is a beautiful website made by a fan that is a lot more dedicated than me!

And here's a special thank you from Robert for taking the time to read all my ramblings.

gif by quicheisinsane

I'd love to hear your favorite Robert Downey Jr movie! And if you don't feel the love, who is your favorite actor?