LOTR.

Dani and I have a new obsession.

It all started like three weeks ago because Dani and I wanted to watch a movie. For some reason, for the first time in her life, she was interested in the prospect of watching Lord of the Rings. I jumped at the opportunity, and after she swore that she remembered what happened in the first movie, we plopped in the second.

She was hooked from like the first note of that amazing, Oscar winning original score. And as I explained the deeper details of the characters and plot she got more and more intrigued. And so, up to this point, over a period of a couple weeks (and Thanksgiving break was included in there), we have watched the second and third movies, and started over with the first one yesterday.

This is how we like to watch them. We get all cozy and settled in Dani's room. She has two beds in there- they are parallel to each other. We sit on her bed, with our backs against the wall and feet hanging off the end, and put my computer on the other bed with her speakers hooked up to it. We turn off all the lights, and I use my handy dandy little remote to adjust volume and to pause it if we have to text someone, answer our phones, run out for a cookie break, or discuss recent happenings. Those discussions usually include yours truly trying to explain some concept that I barely remember but can't really put into words very well. I generally try to use as mush Lord of the Rings lingo as possible so Dani thinks that I know what I am talking about. But seriously, I've only ever read those books once. How much could I possibly remember for real?

I've trained her up pretty good too. She really likes using names like "Uruk Hai," "Sting," "Isildur," and "Nazgul." And she was ridiculously excited when we were watching Return of the King and she realized the Aragorn WAS the king who would return. Why it took her until half-way into the third movie to realize that, I will never know. But her joy was contagious. :) AND, I'm pretty sure she's dying to read the books now. I brought my copy back to Provo with me from Thanksgiving, and when I told her about all the awesome appendices at the back, she got SUPER excited. That's the kind of enthusiasm I like to see, especially from a former LOTR hater.

Experiencing Dani's conversion to the wonderful world created by J.R.R. Tolkien has reminded me very fondly of my own conversion to the wonders of life in Middle Earth. I was fifteen years old. I mere sophomore in high school. I had two really good friends, Moe and Jenn (notice the two "n's" Jenny-- I think that's the first time I've ever done that), who realized that my life was lacking, and decided to subject me to an all-time LOTR party. This was, of course, before Return of the King came out into theaters. So, on the appointed night, the three of us went to Harmons and picked up the appropriate snacks: caramel treasures, mint oreos, peacheos, and sour patch kids. (an assortment of chocolatey, sweet, and salty) Oh, and we got a "hot and ready pizza please" at Little Caesars. We watched the movies down in Jenny's room on a little TV that she usually kept close for nights such as these. We set up our beds and bags of food, and watched the extended versions of movies 1 and 2. We paused them VERY OFTEN, because I was frequently very confused, and I think that the two of them were super annoyed at me because I kept not waiting for the movie to answer my questions. But, we had a grand all time as a result of the wonderful movies, splendid company, yummy treats, and let's not forget-- the talented Paul Handy. By around 3am, I was fully converted, and NEEDED to see the third movie.

We went to movie 3 on New Years' Eve, just as 2003 ended, and we welcomed in 2004. Yes, my first moments in the year 2004 were spent in the Stadium 8 movie theater with Moe and Jenn. And I kind of think I brought my teddy bear (he was recently adopted from build-a-bear, okay?). But watched the movie, and it was fantastic, and I loved it. And we got home around 4 in the morning, and didn't get to bed until 6. Let's just say that to this day, it is still my favorite New Years' Eve ever. And do you know why? Because I love Moe and Jenn, I generally hate New Years' Eve, and LOTR IS AWESOME.

After that I read the books, bought the movies, and have watched them several more times. And I even own a One Ring. Creepy. Oh, and I made a pinata of the Ring for my Spanish class assignment. And mean Mr. Robinson gave me a bad grade, even though my ring was WAY AWESOMER than his silent son's basketball pinata. I mean, come on! That pinata almost gave me my first A-. But it was a pretty sweet pinata, and I hung it above my bed like a halo for the next several years.

Plus, Aragorn is just too handsome and rugged and chiseled and great.

Good times. LOTR.