Update: Two Things Crossed Off Bucket List

Okay I did two things since I wrote my list! First, I read Emma.  Second, I ran twelve miles (not in a race, though, well kinda). Also-I am writing this as I watch Law and Order: SVU-teen idols marathon! So good!! An eight-year-old Haley Dunphy! Fred Savage?? So, my writing might seem a little erratic. Or I might add in some legal jargon. 

1. Emma: Jane Austen
So, I have attempted to read Emma multiple times in my life because of my affinity for the movie Clueless. I don't know why I always stopped reading- always in the first section of the novel.  Austen novels are usually slow in the beginning, and I guess I was just so anxious to figure out the similarities between the novel and Clueless-and it was not going! However-once I got through half of the novel, I just zoomed through it. There were so many similarities, not only between the characters, but between the emotions and feelings that Emma and Cher feel at similar situations in their lives.  At first, they both start off very self-absorbed and independent-without mothers, wealthy, and the apples of their fathers' eyes. They each have their BFF's-Mrs. Weston (poor Miss Taylor!) and Dionne, and they have their "older brother types", Mr. Knightley and Josh-who actually aren't their brothers.

 Emma never wants to marry and Cher "won't ever date a high school boy."  Of course, they both play matchmakers to their new found friends Harriet and Tai.  Emma tries to set up Harriet with Mr. Elton, and Cher tries to set up Tai-with who else!-Elton.  This fails miserably because...the Eltons love Emma and Cher!! The two ladies are both in utter shock and turn them way down.  The Eltons get desperate and end up with horrible, snobby "ladies"-Mrs. Elton (ugh she would not exist today-she woulda been slapped in today's world) and Amber.

  After their failures at matchmaking, Emma and Cher both try to set themselves up with their own love interests, Frank Churchill and Christian, respectively.  This is the main difference in the book, I believe. The ladies don't end up getting their men. Frank Churchill is secretly engaged to the sickly Jane Fairfax, and, as we all should know, Christian is totally gay! Emma and Cher both still consider them great friends after the incidences, but I don't think Clueless really had the Jane Fairfax equivalent.

Then, their new friends end up liking their "older brother types," and the ladies go into "states of ickyness".  They each individually ask themselves why do I even care? "Tai is my girl-I don't begrudge her a boyfriend." And then-a ha! Its because they are totally and utterly in love with Mr. Knightley and Josh!!
 They never realized it before.  They never had women test their positions before, or make them believe they were #2 in the eyes of their respective men. Its in this awareness that they find they have been utterly clueless, and try to right all of their wrongs.

 Emma with Jane Fairfax and Miss Bates, and Cher with Tai and Travis (who end up dating, which Cher dismissed early in the movie).  They greatly improve themselves in that they become more humble and truly caring about other people.  They aren't so selfish and clueless anymore! How wonderful :) Then-of course!-Mr. Knightley and Josh confess their loves to Emma and Cher, and everything is happy and perfect. Mr. Knightley and Emma get married, along with Harriet and Mr. Martin (Emma dismissed this relationship, as well) and Cher and Josh make out at a wedding. Yay!



Ok, now for some more pictures with quotes:    











2. King of Prussia 10-miler: Actually Just a 12-Mile Run
Okay, so I actually didn't run this. I am still in Knoxville. Why? You may ask.  Well, I am broke, and my house in PA is full of cats and an aggressive dog who will probably kill my miss Buffy (Calvin wouldn't even entertain that crap).  Anyway, I did not run this race, so I will have to add another one to my bucket list for the summer! I did, however, do a twelve-miler in preparation for my half marathon coming up in July.  The first 2.75 miles I did super slow with my doggies.  Then, after I dropped them off, I took a different route and went to Seqouyah Hills. I avoid those hills like the plague! Well, when I was running down the greenway to the Church parking lot that is next to the Cherokee/Kingston intersection, there was an energy station.  I was super confused.  They all started cheering for me. "We have a runner!" I was like, uhh, yeah! Free water and gel!! So, as luck and God would have it, I ended up joining this mini Iron Man race.  All of the runners were in uni's and had completed their swims and bike rides, and were running really slow.  They ran on the streets, and I was in the middle path on Cherokee.  This was my view the entire way:


It was so fun to run up on these people and pass right by them.  Granted, they were doing a triathlon, and I was only doing twelve miles, but I still felt pretty awesome about myself! I felt like God gave me a mini present-Hey, Erika, yeah sorry you are broke and couldn't do that race, but hey, here's a race you can run with for 8 miles! No t-shirt, but water and gel-hey! Who needs the t-shirt anyway? I just love being part of races.  They are super exciting, and all of the energy really takes my mind off of the pain (except the last 3 miles of a marathon ughh). Anyway, this made me feel really excited to race this summer and get in super awesome shape!!! Stoked!!