Vampires, Ghosts, and Things That go "Bump" in the Night

Vampires - I FINALLY saw Twilight last night, four long days after its release. Some of my thoughts during the first 1:23 minutes: Yikes, Ugh, Jasper looks constipated, I could be home sleeping, do I dare get up and walk out? These were not exactly the reactions I had anticipated, even though I had read many reviews which should have warned me. I think in the beginning of the movie I was as uncomfortable in my seat as some of the actors were on screen. I was never thrilled with the casting of "Cedric Diggory" as Edward and now I know why. He just wasn't Edward for me. And I'm not sure if I will be able to make it through "New Moon" if we get an even darker, more brooding Bella. She drove me crazy. Once the baseball game started I was a little more entertained, but not much. The movies are never as good as the books (except for Last of the Mohicans) so I am not surprised Twilight the movie just didn't do much for me. I'm sure I will rent it and watch it with Paul so he can get a taste of what all the hoopla is about, but you won't catch me in a theater watching it again. I still love the books!

Ghosts - My real "live" ghost story has been requested and I figure I better write it down before I forget it. I grew up in a haunted house. It wasn't ever "certified" (do they certify haunted houses?) but those of us living there knew it was. It was an old house that used to be a boarding house, and then a nursery until we finally took it over in pretty miserable conditions. My dad renovated the entire place over the 30 or so years of living there. Every room but the dark, dank, scary basement with rickety old wooden stairs. I don't know if the ghost always lived there or was just stuck in the basement because that was the one place untouched. We had food storage down there and an extra fridge so we were going down there all the time and nothing ever happened, but at night, you could hear someone walking up and down the basement stairs. My parents' room was right next to the door to the basement and dad will confess that he heard it all the time. Open the door and there was no one there. In order to get to the bathroom you have to pass by the door to the basement on the right, and the kitchen opened up on the left. One night a few years ago when I was home for a family gathering, I got up to use the bathroom. I was walking past the basement when I had something catch my eye in the kitchen. There, in all his glory, on the other side of the kitchen I swear was the ghost! He was a big guy, probably in his 50's, and I had the impression that he was a sailor. Maybe because of his white shirt, I don't really know. I kept on walking to the bathroom and he didn't seem to make a move. Once there, I literally had the pee scared out of me! With all my being I did not want to walk past that kitchen on the way back to my bed. I don't really even remember the walk back, whether I looked or not, but I took the stairs back to my room two at a time and jumped in bed! My parents have since moved and I don't think there was ever another sighting by my family, but I am sure I saw our ghost. He was a friendly guy I guess. I'm not sure why he chose to come out of the basement at last and I wonder if anyone ever hears from him anymore since he made the move.


Things That Go Bump in the Night - Seeing as how I am trying to be more positive and nicer to my kids, I would like to express my gratitude to them for devising this clever burglar trap in our front hall. I don't think there is a burglar alive who could navigate this gauntlet in the dead of night without ending up with a broken ankle. Thanks Drew and Mason for your thoughtfulness for our safety!