A Mad 2013 Review! (Part 2)

Have some free time to spare?  If so, please make yourself comfortable and check out part two of my 2013 review!  

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Despite the almost unbearable pain of Sciatica, I was still going to make the best of this new month.  My boyfriend and a few of our friends got together to watch Marvel's Iron Man 3 in theaters on the opening day!  Hot damn, it was great fun!  Robert Downey Jr. never fails to disappoint, especially when portraying the famous Tony Stark.  The movie reflected more on his vulnerable side instead of his usual arrogant self.  I enjoy characters with flaws and weaknesses over "perfect" ones, and such imperfection was beautiful coming from the character.  To fully expose him, it was eye-opening and a treat to forever keep in mind.   

EDIT: Doh!  I forgot to mention that Jason and I watched Star Trek Into Darkness in theaters on opening day!  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  It quickly became one of my all-time favorite movies!  The entire cast was fantastic.  Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto were excellent as always.  But most of all, the best performance goes to Benedict Cumberbatch!  His portrayal of John Morrison/Khan was simply DIVINE!  My geek and fangirl feels were going crazy the entire time he was on the screen!  (If you haven't seen this movie?  You need to see it RIGHT NOW.  For realsies.)  

This month, I was granted the opportunity to spend time with Jason and his mother on a more personal level.  We wandered around the USS Midway Museum and learned of its vast, fascinating history.  Afterwards, we explored the majority of Seaport Village-- while it was raining!-- and then we decided to enjoy a lovely dinner at Joe's Crab Shack.  It was Jason's first time eating there and he loved it!  Our meal was fantastic and worth every penny.  The entire day was some of the best fun I've experienced yet.

I was happy to celebrate Dia De Las Madres (Mexican Mother's Day) at Chili's with my parents, even though there was some lack of comfort between myself, my brother, and his wife.  They believed me to be mentally unstable, but I wasn't going to let that discourage me.  Besides, my mom deserved the best after everything she'd done for us.  Overall, it was a nice experience.   

May also proved to be a month of sincere, open-minded honesty.  One day, I decided to sit down and simply...  write.  This was the result of that productivity.  No lies and no secrets.  (To this day I'm still proud yet relieved to share that journal entry.)

Oh!  Did I mention that I practiced driving on the freeway for the first time?  My hands were death gripping the steering wheel; it was that scary!  Fortunately, I was able to stay in decent control with my dad's encouraging words.  Still...   

Better than May 2012?  Yes!

Video Game of the Month: Konami's Suikoden II (PSX)

Song of the Month: Switchfoot's "This Is Your Life"

Quote of the Month: "One year.  Together.  And more will I always fight for." --Me!

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For the most part, June was a very peaceful month.  The most exciting event was being able to drive on back and main streets using the lessons my dad taught me.  There was a point I was going 50 when the speed limit signs requested it!  It was a thrilling permit driving experience that I'd hold onto as my skills behind the wheel continued to improve.  The more I practiced, the more I retained in my memories and the better driver I was becoming.   

This was also the month I discovered an awesome band called You Me At Six.  Inspired by the messages in their songs and looking through my dA gallery, I decided to create my own Facebook page!  It would simply enhance my passion for writing, increasing my determination to become a professional writer.  No one and nothing would ever change that.

The only negative?  One particularly nasty person was trying to ruin my life with their eternal grudges.  They only made themselves look bad, though.   

Better than June?  Yes!

Video Game of the Month: Capcom's Resident Evil REMAKE (Gamecube)

Song of the Month: You Me At Six's "Underdog"

Quote of the Month: "Holding anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." --Buddha

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July, July, July!  Normally when the San Diego Comic-Con is going on, I attend all four days.  But this year I decided to only attend Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, I cosplayed as Female!Castiel, and on this day I had the utmost pleasure of meeting MISHA COLLINS!   Good Lord, he was tall in person!  (He's also more gorgeous in person.  Sorrynotsorry!  ) It was during his exclusive GishWishes Wacky Costume Contest outside of the convention center in the back.  There were probably hundreds of fans, some of them dressed for the Supernatural occasion!  When he was walking up the stairs and taking pictures of us, I took a picture of him.  It wasn't the best quality and angling, but it was more than enough to prove that I met him.

On Sunday, I went a unique route and cosplayed as one of my novel-in-progress characters, Maricela Vasquez!  Her outfit was really easy to put together, excluding the hair-- I had no time to dye it red.   But I looked really cool!  During an easygoing volunteer shift for the Teen Titans: Go! panel, I met a new friend named Julie Raelyn.  She was cosplayed as Jem!  Nostalgia anyone?  We had a great time being geeks and sharing fun stories about our geekiness.

(I'm a proud geek.  Always have been, always will be!) Besides that, simple exploration of the exhibition hall and attending some panels-- especially the biggest Archaia Entertainment panel!-- was all I did, really.  I purchased quite a few items, but only two were for myself (Archaia graphic novels FTW).  The rest were for family and friends.  It was a good time.  Within this month, I established an account on ask.fm.  (I'm always up for questions, folks!)

The best July event was going on a road trip with my boyfriend and my crazy sista Melinda to Arizona to visit my soul sista Rachael , her mother Sue, and her new father Tom!  We ventured out to different cities of the state such as Mesa, Phoenix, Tuscon, and even Tombstone!  We tried different foods and drinks at various restaurants and eateries, but honestly none of those meals were as memorable as Tom's cooking.  Holy crap, he's a great cook!  Everything he made was delish.  

In their home in Mesa, we were officially introduced to their three dogs, especially the newest member of the family, Gizmo!  (He's a deer Chihuahua with a little body and a big attitude.  Too cute for words!) In Phoenix, I finally met one of Jason's half brothers, Matt.  I could already tell that he was a good guy, especially when he's got a lovable dog named Chesty.  Chesty was a big boy and he was super friendly!  In Tuscon, we visited a United States landmark known as the Mission San Xavier del Bac.  It was BEAUTIFUL to see in person.  Jason and Rachael took several pictures with their smartphones while I fought to hold back my tears of joy.  Lastly, in Tombstone, we watched several plays by the Tombstone Vigilantes, re-telling historical events that led up to the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.  Later that night, we decided to go on a night tour of the haunted Bird Cage Theatre.  (It's legit!  Ghastly and shadowy figures, chilling voices and goosebumps, NO TRICKS!  )

The only downside of the trip was being denied the opportunity to test whether or not I was qualified to offer Rachael a kidney transplant.  The nurses said it was because of my history of depression and anxiety; they didn't want to risk post-surgery consequences.  As if...

I digress.  Overall, July was wonderful!