Friday, June 10, 2011

Fact: it is Friday. {LOTR}

Fact: it is Friday: Where I talk about myself. On Fridays.
I don't talk about my babies, unless I want to, which sometimes I might. But mostly Fact: it is Friday is when I'm going to maybe tell you something you didn't know about me.
Or maybe a story from my bucktoothed-childhood or bratty teenage years.

Becky Fact 1: I am a big huge LOTR fan. We're talking about wearing cloaks to school here, people.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to write about on Fridays (like 10 minutes), and mostly I want to write about myself still. Since I don't care about politics, and am not very fashionable, and what else do people talk about on blogs besides fashion, politics and themselves?
I also thought long and hard about the first Becky Fact to share (like 5 minutes) and decided that what you really need to know about me is: I was (and maybe am still) obsessed with the Lord of the Rings.
It began in third grade when Mrs. Kanthak would gather the nine year olds about her in circle and read to us from J.R.R. Tolkien's famous children's book: The Hobbit.
Dang. I was hooked. 
I remember her reading in a creepy Gollum voice. I remember when our special treat to watch The Hobbit cartoon in class was canceled as a punishment for misbehaving. I remember when, joy of joys, my dad found me my very own copy of The Hobbit in the basement - and it came with a three sequels!

I reread The Hobbit on my own when I was ten, and I started The Fellowship of the Ring, but gave up at the Council of Elrond. That was thick stuff.
But I returned a year later and reread The Hobbit (I'm a serious book rereader. Usually I would rather read a book I've already read than a new book.) followed by The Fellowship.
Again, the Council of Elrond stumped me, but this time I just went ahead and skipped to The Two Towers (because how could that boring part be important?) I think I (kind of) finished the books that year.
But I missed a ton. Like, maybe the whole plot.
When I was 12 I reread The Hobbit and began the trilogy again. "Why did you keep trying?" you may ask.
Here's why:
1. I have always loved reading bigger, thicker, more impressive books than other people around me because it makes me feel smarter than them.
and 2. Maybe you aren't grasping how much I loved The Hobbit. BEST BOOK EVER.
I knew the LOTR must be equally wonderful, as soon as I could figure them out.

And 12 was the magic number at which I could read the books all the way through and understand them. AND LOVE THEM.
And I may have picked up some Elvish. And I may have had a sign on my bedroom door that said "Speak friend, and enter."
And I just might have started collecting LOTRs memorabilia. And still have a Gandalf action figure that I love, which my roommates through the years have loved to mock.

So I loved the books. I read them several times in a row. (That's another thing I still do. I read the 7th HP book 3 times during the first week it was out.... it's a problem.)

And then trailers starting appearing on tv for the new Fellowship of the Ring movie. And they were accompanied by a twelve year-old (me) ranting like this: "Who the heck is that freaking elf? (Liv Tyler: Arwen) That better not be Legolas. I don't care that there are only men in the Fellowship. I can't believe they're just adding girl characters for drama. I mean, WHO IS SHE?! Why is she even in the movie? Have they even READ the books?"
People.
This is before the movies were even in the theater. I was already mad about them.
And the movies were PG-13, so my dad said I couldn't go see them.
And he made me wait. But they were in the theaters for like 3 months, because they were so awesome, so he FINALLY let me go.
And I was sad that Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-Wights and many other things were taken out.
But the sadness was overshadowed by how awesome the movie was. And how handsome Legolas was.
(Orlando Bloom = a 13 year old's heartthrob.)
Aaaaanyway. Some vapid girl in my 9th grade theater class was overheard to say "I tried to read the books, because the movies had so many hot guys in it, but it was boooooring."
And to this day I still picture her when I think about people who are annoying or stupid.
And my best friend and my seminary teacher and I skipped out on seminary the day the extended dvds came out, so we could be the first ones in line at Wal-Mart. (We're talking like 6am.)
And I probably memorized the movie. And the cast commentary.
And the like 30 hours of special features.
Probably.
And, what was that? You want to hear about how I wore a cloak sometimes in middle school?
Ummm... What more needs to be said?
My mom made it.
It was reversible (black on one side and sparkly silver on the other...)
And yeah. I thought I was awesome.
Because I was. Duh.
(And, oh yeah. I still read the books almost every year. Maybe I brought them with me to Africa to read. Because that was an important pound to add to my carry on luggage.)

*        *        *


Fact: it is Friday. 
I think you should do it too. Imma going to make a button, and maybe a linky list for next week.
And here are your instructions (not really rules...):


1. Write a fact about yourself.
2. Elaborate.
3. It can be long or short, detailed or not.
4. Don't write about your kids. (Unless you want to. Because, I mean... it's your blog. I can't stop you from writing about your kids.)
5. Link up to this blog, so we can all read some facts, and not feel bad that we dropped out of school to be stay-at-home moms. (Since if we're reading facts, then we are still learning.)
6. You're not a dropout like me? Or a stay at home mom? No biggie. You can still play.


Can't think of what to write? Start like this:
Fact: When I was a kid I was really good at...
or
Fact: My biggest pet peeve is...
or
Fact: I have a third nipple.
Etc.

Fact: I would love it  if you voted for me by clicking below:



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8 comments:

Polly said...

I thought you made the cloak yourself? I remember dad and I laying in bed laughing our heads off at how hilarious it was that you were wearing a cloak to school and maybe we should try to stop you so that you wouldn't be teased. But there was no stopping you and you must not've been teased (or cared) because you wore it many times. I do still have it in the Halloween box and Jack might've used it when he dressed up as death. I can save it for Grey and Micah to fight over someday.

Nana B said...

Oh and I thought Harry Potter was who you wanted to be - but then again for the drama queen a fantasy life would be normal. You still wear HP glasses so that has to be your next topic. And you aren't the only one who rereads favorite books, I just finished HP for the 4th or 5th time, they never get old and LOTR has been read only 3 times but they are a little harder to get through. By the way the photos in the above post are so cute, and I know I keep saying this but they are getting so big.

Molly S said...

I don't remember how I came across your blog, but I'm fairly sure you're my new all-time favorite. Seriously. The funniest person on the interwebs.

I, too, am a college drop-out (for shame), and a stay-at-home-mom (double shame). It's okay. We're awesome.

Well, you are, at least!

Anna said...

Love it! I admire your LOTR geekiness. I loved the books and movies too, but I lacked the commitment to go full-on and wear a cape to school. I did once get my boyfriend (now husband, he's a keeper) a reproduction ring.

Keep us posted on the button, I'd love to participate next week!

MARCIE said...

The Peter Pan gene lives on

Elizabeth said...

I dropped out of college but went back and am now only two semesters away from my bachelor's degree but I'm a stay-at-home mom, too. I do homework in the car waiting for school to let out, or durning to hour the boys are at therapy, or nap/ quiet time (6 year olds don't like to and won't take naps so they get quiet time!) or at 1am which is when I normally read your blog for a break in my homework. I secretly wish I could be a better storyteller like you. I also love that I am no longer the only one of our large Froelich grandchildren clan that is married and has babies- it gives us more common ground that we missed growing up that we could hopefully use in our adult lives to know each other better. I also like to ramble and I will stop talking now. The boys are lovely. Grandma got a Aurora twin baby dolls for her birthday and she thought of your babies. It was cute.

kaylie jean. said...

"If I wore black, NO cape!"

Also I remember the hanging of Gandalf. Pretty sure that was Kayhay, right?

Whatever happened to the quote book??

Jack Froelich said...

BECKY!!!!!! its Jack and im pretty sure we still have the cape in our costume box...also didnt you make tin foil necklaces? I am finally reading the books and being able to finished them, a year later than you but i dont know any other 13 year olds who have read any of them so im awesome because of that. great post too..