The Best of 2011 (In the life of this Blogger)

Here are some of the best moments and events in my life this year worth mentioning publicly. I want to mention people so bad, but I want to be able to ask people first, and it would be hard to get 30 or so people's permission to mention them. But So many things in my life this year are worth mentioning. Here are some milestones.

**All things written below are subject to amendment of any sort at any time**

Top Reasons to be Motivated to Enjoy Life

1. 1 Colossians 27

2. Frodo to Sam in Return of the King: "There is so much for you to be, and see, and do."

3. Freedom

4. Creativity

5. Energy (Light, Strength etc)

Top Things that I got to do this year.

A Glacier. You had to be there (alaska).

1. Deep Conversations with close people in my life (you all know who you are)

2. Small Group Coordinator with InterVarsity

2. Began Dancing and Working on a Film

3. Alaska Trip with My Family

4. Movie Nights

5. Worked at this pretty cool Tea Shop

6. Found this cool Coffee shop

7. Began reading/writing again

8. Drive people and participate in Chapter Camp

9. Help friends in need

10. Sing/Play/Listen to music of all kinds

11. Watched some great movies (Top films coming soon)

A fatter Andres in May 2010

Things Accomplished

1. So much Wellness and Emotional Healing (A healthier sense of Identity and God's Presence in my Life).

2. This Blog

3. Working on a Documentary with some cool people

4. Dance

5. Lost around 15-20lbs since summer 2010 (REALLY?!?!) ----->

Rugged Andres changing flat.

Key Events

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

2. Alaska-Fishing

3. Alaska Visiting/flying in by myself

4. Fiddler on the Roof

5. Christmas in my hometown with the monks

6. Salsa Dancing on Halloween

7. Chapter Camp

8. Flat Tire on the Way to Chapter Camp :)

9. Birthday Party

10. Forgetting to Graduate

Yes, really Harry Potter. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Really.

Best Worst things that happened to me (Worth mentioning)

Socorro, NM

1. A very forward and unappealing 45 yr old lady asks to date me while I'm working

2. 4 whole driving tickets all at once

3. Headache in a packed car with 5 family members who are just like me (practically) for about 10 hours.

4. Insomnia in Socorro

5. Transitioning out of InterVarsity

6. Changing 3 flat tires in one month's time

About this BLOG

This blog has functioned as an experimental public journal. It updates people on events in my life, and it attempts to share valuable experiences. So far, based on viewership, it has been a success.

Most Viewed Posts

1. How to Make the Most out of your Insomnia in Socorro (~74 page views to date)

2. A City by the Sea (~65 page views to date)

3. Coffee in Albuquerque Part I (58 page views to date)

4. Fellowship of the Ring AGAIN?! (47 page views to date)

5. The Gospel According to Boxes, Sam, and Andres (38 page views to date)

Please continue to Read more and Click the above links if you missed any posts.

Top Search Keywords

1. the one ring (5 referrals)

(others not worth mentioning)

Money made this year from the Blog

Around 30 dollars based on around 700 page views

Page Views by Month

1. November 341

2. October 315

3. December 281 (So Far)

4. September 196

5. August 174

6. June 192

7. March 104

8. July 59

9. January 16

10. April 12

11. February 5

12. May 4

So MUCH progress! Thank everyone who visits. Your comments are valuable. There has been so much growth in this blog this last year. Here's to hoping that next year will be better for blogging, photography, dance, and film. I think it will.

Fellowship of the Ring AGAIN?!

Forget Netflix. The Movie Theater Still Matters

That's right, I prefer the babies crying, people telling you to shut up because of your geeky giddiness, people reading subtitles for their children. I would rather sit in a room full of respectable film appreciators who enjoy the cinema-going experience. I prefer that over sitting in a room by myself wondering which instant netflix movie I'm gonna let buffer while I wait for my tea kettle to boil. Going to the movies never felt so good.



I don't prefer the occasional drunks that wonder into Century 14 downtown Albuquerque multiplex, but that's beside the point.

Earlier this spring I discovered that The Lord of the Rings film series would be released to movie theaters again this year. My personal nerdometer rose to an all-time high. My friend Marcus said, "We'll be going to that one, right Andres?" I agreed, and--I don't know why I am surprised--but it has been the best experience I've had at the movies all year--Aside from making fun of the poor choices in Thor with my friend Jessie and witnessing the remains of a popcorn-induced vomit in the little boys room at Anchorage's multiplex.


Me Disappearing as a result of the ONE RING.

At least with Fellowship of the Ring you know that you aren't going to want your money back at the end of the night. Other movies like Thor, X-Men, Pirates, etc. They're pretty decent and they are fun and feel-goody and all that summer movie nonsense. They've got the explosions and pretty people. Fellowship has the pretty people (basically all of them) and great special effects of course, but the film is about much more than that. With the re-release of Lord of the Rings, or LOTR as we geeks like to abbreviate it, at least you know that your movie going experience will be worthwhile.

This was my second favorite viewing of Fellowship. The first time I saw it was obviously my favorite experience. It was great to be in a theater full of appreciating fans who are there to see it for maybe the 50th time. There is this positive energy you feel when everyone is enjoying the same thing you are--a great community experience. The film never looked and sounded better than this as far as I can remember. Peter Jackson isn't so much like George Lucas--that is he doesn't try to sell his movie anyway he can find a way to and in every format. (Lucas now wants to make his Star Wars into 3D, really Lucas?) Jackson is reasonable, a great artist and businessman when it comes down to it. This was a "rare" event as he called it.

Though the girl next to me told me to shut up, I knew it was because she was wanting to enjoy the film and I wasn't too offended because I knew we were being obnoxious with our giddiness. When the child was having the subtitles read aloud to her, I thought she was probably seeing it for the first time and I was glad that she was! What a special moment. I just wish her mother wouldn't have read the poetic lines so monotone and matter-of-factly. Imagine: "I love you Aragorn" (or whatever the line is) spoken by your least favorite college professor behind you.

I teared up at least three times in this viewing. The obvious ones:

• When Gandalf dies.
• When Borimir dies.
• When Sam and Frodo share that moment at the end. (Sam nearly dies.)
• That's right, 'dies' is in red. Perhaps a reference to Legolas' line in The Two Towers?
  

The Not-So Obvious reason I teared up:

• When the movie began and all of that amazing cinematography came and went in montage, it's enough to make a grown up fan-boy throw a slumber party even at 23. (Am I really getting to re-experience this masterpiece?)

Stuff I was surprised by this time around:

• The amount of times frodo falls. (When stabbed, in Moria (at least 2 or three times), when being chased by wraiths and he jumps onto raft, when Borimir tries to take the ring, off the historic platform at the climax of film when he takes ring off.
• How many close-ups Peter Jackson chooses to use and how far in he goes. I forgot how intimate the scenes between Arwen and Aragorn are, that is how close the camera gets to them. I'm not uncomfortable by this, it works great! Jackson likes to get in really close to his characters eyes.
• All of the helicopter shots. I am always surprised by it every time I see this film. Fellowship has the most and the most beautiful of the three. It's a regular tour of New Zealand's country side--the country has to give Jackson and crew credit for bringing in so many tourists looking for things like Gollum and cave trolls. It's beautiful cinematography.
  

I never appreciated the extended edition of this film probably because I have never seen it in theaters before or in its full context. (I would often go through the films and watch the added footage.) I had some doubts about spending this money to go see a film I had already seen before. But truthfully I have never seen this film in theaters. I've seen its shorter version before. This one is better and I am glad I am going to all three parts of it.