To Read or Not to Read- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

So, after 8 long years J.K. Rowling has finally given the Harry Potter fandom another story- the book/script for her upcoming play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Which, according to the goddess herself, will be the last Harry Potter. Yeah, heard that before J.K. :p

Some time ago when I was much better about keeping up with this blog I wrote about my distress at not having Harry Potter frequenting my life anymore. Sure, there were movies and books to enjoy over and over again. The nostalgia of reliving my childhood held me over these last few years since the final movie was released in 2011.

However, upon hearing of the play's novelization I didn't get excited. I didn't even end up going to the midnight festivities or reserve a copy (in my defense I just moved to a new state and know absolutely no one :/ ) I don't know if its just my recent apathy for things, see my revisit of American Gods for more on this, or if I'm still getting over the fanfiction train wreck that was the most recent Vampire Chronicles book, Prince Lestat. Seriously, I don't defend the later books in the series but hot damn.

Plus, I've heard very mixed reactions about The Cursed Child and one reviewer even compared it to Prince Lestat in its fanfiction-y feeling. Maybe I just don't want to be disappointed, to read something that made up such a huge part of my life up until a few years go. Maybe I don't want that disappointment to reflect on the series as a whole and, in affect, my own life.

I guess I'll give it a read when my local library gets a copy. Perhaps by then I'll be more excited for it and for the upcoming Warner Bros. needs new franchises to make money since Hunger Games is over -er, I mean Fantastic Beasts film. Here's hoping.

Confessions from a Paused Life- Tips for Cheering Yourself Up

Hey there, ~Paused Lifers~! We've all been there. You have a bad day, get some bad news, run frantically around trying to rethink your entire life. Again. Ugh. Life just sucks on too many occasions.

Who knows why it does this. Other people have pretty good lives, right? Guess its just the luck of the draw. Some people can't get a break and never will. But you know what???

Yeah, take that, existential crisis! Until someone tells me what the freak is going on or what I should do in life, I'll do whatever I can to make my self happy!  So, in honor of this new-found " I don't give a freak", I'm going to share with you what I do to help get myself (temporarily) out of a funk.

 Pinterest

Ah, Pinterest. My old and new found addiction.

Once upon a time I gave you up, fearing the distraction would impact my classwork in college. Well, guess who's not in college anymore and doesn't have an important enough job to care about?

The time waste, its so hypnotic. You just keep scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. You literally never have to stop looking at funny pictures or mouth-watering food. Just accept the zombification and let all your worries fade away.

Movie Marathon

For me, its Mel Brooks specifically. There really is nothing like curling up on the couch in your pjs with a bowl of rocky road icecream and watching some of the funniest movies ever. Blazing Saddles, History of the World: Part 1, The Producers Young Frankenstein, etc. All Brilliant.

Seriously, its so hard to bed upset while watching any of these movies.Check them out if you haven't. Now. I'll wait... Here's a clip to get you started

                                         

Anyways, just watch your favorite movies. Nothing too depressing though, that's counter-productive.

Ryan Gosling, we meet again...

Baking

.....Get your minds out of the gutter! There, now that that is done, there's just something about making sweet treats that just puts me in a good mood. Cupcakes, cookies, candy, bread. Especially bread. Kneading bread is WONDERFUL for working out some issues. You're pretty much beating the crud out of the bread dough, its fantastic.

Take that, emotional strain!!!! Plus, you then get to eat said baked goods. Instant cheer up, nothing like eating your feelings away!

Look at the little face, its saying "eat me, feel better, its ok, you can diet when you're older".

Pokemon, aka Violent Video games

I get such a rush of joy from playing the Pokemon games. Don't judge, at one point in time everyone who was a child during the 90's played it. Many of you still do  too. Don't lie. Posers. 

Now, I'm not saying you have to play Pokemon specifically, just any violent-ish video game. It goes back to the Pinterest and kneading bread thing: Mindless and useful in venting rage. For me, though, Pokemon also has that nostalgia of a more peaceful time. Just happiness, no crazy adult worries. Just me, my team, and that punk-ass rival from Red/Blue.

Yeah, take that Gary Oak! Take that Life! 

Well, there you have it, the things I do to cheer myself up. I'm not claiming that these will work for you, or that they even work for me 100% of the time. No one is perfect, internet...Stop with the judgement!

So, what do you guys do to cheer yourselves up? Leave a comment below and, as always, subscribe and share if you likey~ Seriously, though, subscribe. Now. I can wait...

*Pinterest is Godly in its mindless scrolling. So...much...geekyness...*

Dealing with the Real World- Confessions from a Paused Life

Many of us have been in that void: the space between college and having an actual life. We all plan out our success during the Senioritis-filled final semester of college. Get that dream job, meet the love of your life, have your own place. Eat something that isn't Ramen. We have a COLLEGE DEGREE and will be awesome. Or some of us, myself included, planned to continue on in school with a graduate degree program.

Either way, we are going to be Carpe diem-ing that shit.

.....Then that falls through and you end up where it all began.

You lay on your parent's couch bemused: You did everything right. You did the extra-curriculars. Participated in activities related to your field, like that internship or field school. Maybe even a study abroad trip. Heck, you did your own research and presented it at a conference. Then life bitch-slapped you. Hard. Repeatedly. Like the Hulk did to Loki in the Avengers.

(I was going to put a clip of the Hulk smashing Loki....but it wouldn't work. As per usual, those responsible have been sacked)

The falling apart of your life wouldn't be that bad if others weren't having, in your opinion, pretty good lives. Friends are getting their dream jobs, or are getting into grad school while you wallow in your self pity. Or they're going the family route while you sit on your parent's couch. 

 

(Whoever made this spelled 'here' wrong, they need a sacking)

So you cave in and regroup. You apply to every business in a 10 mile radius. Unsuccessfully.

So true, philosoraptor. So true. 

PLAN B TIME. Then you apply to every retail business in a 10 mile radius, only to get a interview with one. In your mind, at this moment, this is just a temporary situation. You'll use this job to save money as you bone up on your credentials and reapply to school or to that dream job.  Or you try.

Curse you, internet!!! Why do you taunt my generation so???

Still, that nagging fear of failure and depression keeps creeping in. Then you hear back from Plan B. Failure resurfaces. Depression grabs you like a dog to a bone.

Now what. With no motivation for anything it can be hard to want to think about the future. Especially with everyone trying to be supportive and motivational. The jerks. You feel like a failure, and to be honest, people do fail. And life isn't going to be nice. You have to fight back. Find something to make you happy, make you smile. Reconnect with a part of yourself that went on the back burner during college. Take some time for yourself to NOT think about the future. Take a break from the future! It doesn't have to be NOW; sorry every sci-fi movie ever made. You are wrong.

 I can't promise that everything will work out and your future will be bright, or that you'll get that dream job. Heck, I don't even know what's going on with my own life right now. But at least for a few blissful moments, you won't be sad. You won't feel lost. I hate to admit it but all those jerks are, in a way, right: 

By everything,  I mean you. Just take a break and do something you enjoy. Eventually you will calm the F- down and work stuff out. Life won't be on ~pause~ forever. Just take a moment to be you and stop worrying about it. This might not be the most inspiring thing you've ever read as you Google your way  through pages of "how to make life work" searches (I know you're doing that, we all do that), but its what works for me and I wanted to share. This is real talk from a real paused life. Not someone who already got through their drama. And I hope I helped just a little bit. 

Sorry about the rant, oh mysterious, possibly non-existent people who peruse this blog :/ 

*I found all images on the interwebz, I made nothing. Thanks creative people!*