Thanksgiving's just around the corner!

What I'm looking forward to:
-Wednesday being the equivalent of Friday at work.
-Going to Raleigh to see my family.
-The super-duper fantastic traffic I'm sure to encounter on I-95. Kidding.
-Making the kick-ass mac and cheese I debuted this past weekend again.
-Laughing with my mother and sister the way only the three of us can -- loudly, frenetically, impulsively, without reason, spontaneously.
-My mom's awesome food.
-Everything else that goes along with Thanksgiving.

Revisiting teenage-dom

When I was a teenager, I let my fear of what others thought get the best of me. I was never cool by anyone’s standards, and I tried desperately to simply not draw attention to myself. I wanted to fly under the radar, unnoticed. I would never have done what I did last night.

Though I’m 25 years old, I let my inner teenager claw its way out from where it had been tucked away for nearly a decade. I donned a hand-painted T-shirt with the words “I love Edward” scrawled across the front and joined some of my favorite people for a midnight showing of teen flick “Twilight” at the cinema. And I had the time of my life, surrounded by giggling, squealing, swooning adolescents and watching ooey-gooey teen love at its finest on the silver screen.

Author Stephanie Meyer has penned four books in the “Twilight” series, and I’ve bought into her vampire/human/werewolf melodrama/romance novels hook, line and sinker. Not the most intellectually-stimulating of reading material, there’s just something raw about them that’s made them my guiltiest of pleasures. Who doesn’t love a good romance? And add the excitement of deadly vampires and werewolves into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

Earlier in the week, I purchased plain white T-shirts, paint and stencils, and I set to work. I unabashedly graffitied them with phrases like “Team Edward,” “Bella Who?” and “#1 Cullen Fan.”

Daily I browsed fan Web sites and the author’s blog. I repeatedly watched trailers for the film. I downloaded the soundtrack on iTunes and listened over and over again. I fed myself with all things “Twilight;” I figure it’s healthy for everyone to indulge in a little frivolity now and again.

And as my best friend and roommate is also a fan -- as are several coworkers, my mother and my sister – the excitement could be shared. By Thursday, I was ready to burst at the seams.

As someone with a steady “big girl” job, staying up late isn’t something I do very well anymore. So Thursday night, my roommate and I stuffed our faces with sugar and coffee. Then we pulled on our T-shirts over top of long-sleeved Ts and we met up with our girly gang.

I screamed and I danced and I yelped for joy when the moment arrived to go to the theater. Once there, we positioned ourselves amidst other “Twilight” fanatics and super-freaks.

And for two hours, I slipped away from real world problems, from work, from bigger issues, and I lusted over sexy Edward Cullen, and I allowed myself to be 15.

Lyrics of the day -- "Decode" by Paramore from the "Twilight" Soundtrack

How can I decide what’s right
When you’re clouding up my mind?
I can’t win your losing fight
All the time

Not gonna ever own what’s mine
When you’re always taking sides
But you won’t take away my pride
No, not this time
Not this time

How did we get here?
When I used to know you so well
How did we get here?
Well, I think I know how

The truth is hiding in your eyes
And it’s hanging on your tongue
Just boiling in my blood
But you think that I can’t see
What kind of man that you are
If you’re a man at all
Well, I will figure this one out
On my own
(I’m screaming, “I love you so”)
On my own
(My thoughts you can’t decode)

How did we get here?
When I used to know you so well, yeah
How did we get here? Well, I think I know how
Do you see what we’ve done?
We’ve gone and made such fools
Of ourselves
Do you see what we’ve done?
We’ve gone and made such fools
Of ourselves

How did we get here?
When I used to know you so well, yeah, yeah
Well, How did we get here?
When i used to know you so well.
I think I know
I think I know

There is something I see in you
It might kill me
I want it to be true

SO pumped about Twilight!

I'm seriously worse than a starry-eyed, drama-filled teenager. I am SO excited about the premiere of Twilight. I have been furiously reading through the books in the series. I'm on the fourth one and don't know what on earth I'm going to do when I've finished. I'm so consumed with all things Edward and Bella and Jacob that returning to reality is going to prove difficult.

Last week, I proudly purchased tickets to Thursday's midnight showing. Working at a newspaper sometimes has its perks; I learned we were about to run an ad announcing the midnight showing and I hurriedly made my way over to the box office. This is how big a dork I am (as if anyone had any doubt) -- the gal informed me I was the first person to buy any of these tickets. Niiiice.

Stuff to look forward to

Another day, another chance to do something wild and wonderful.

TWILIGHT midnight premiere at midnight Thursday. SO pumped.

A weekend with little in the way of plans.

Thanksgiving. Nothing beats time with family, stuffing yourself with yummy food and just vegging out.

The rest of the holiday season!

I love

The rain. When I get to listen to it. But not when I have to traipse through it.

Coffee. I need it all day, every day.

Weekend plans.

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait

So, I know I'm a ginormous dork, but I am so stoked about the Twilight movie coming out in a week and a half I can hardly stand it. I am devouring the books in the Twilight series. I'm on book three of the four-book series, and I simply cannot get enough of Isabella Swan, Edward Cullen and the whole Cullen clan. LOVE it.

The movie is officially released Friday, Nov. 21, but I'm crossing my fingers I can get tix to the midnight Thurs./Fri. show.