From Page-To-Screen: The Maze Runner

IMDb

This is a little late, as I saw this movie at least two weeks ago, but since then I’ve had the film mulling over in my mind. When I saw the movie I was not in the right state of mind to form the right sort of opinion on the movie.

The Maze Runner.

You see I pride myself on not being one of those people that will condemn a page-to-screen adaptation just because cuts needed to be made. I understand that pacing and timing are vital parts of success for any film. But I also REFUSE to be one of those girls that swoons over the main actor/actress thus the film can have no flaws because “so and so” is playing the lead.

But it has been two weeks since I’ve seen the movie and since then I’ve come to the conclusion that the film was actually a bit of a disappointment to me. The casting was fine, I have no major complaints there, and visually the maze, The Glade, everything was amazing!

I think my biggest complaint is that it just did not really peak my interest. I found it too easy to scroll through Twitter or Tumblr on my phone and let the movie play in the background. The excitement in the book did not necessarily transfer to the big screen and it fell a little flat in my mind.

I’m contemplating giving the move a second chance; to watch it and really pay attention the entire way through. But there’s no promise that I will.

As it stands this particular movie is not my favorite page-to-screen adaptation and I am even less inclined to read the next book or see the next movie. Only time will tell!

An Open Letter to You on the Cellphone ... Yes You!

An open letter to you on the cell phone. Yes! I am looking at you!

I’m looking at you sir! The man that walks into a store and stands in front of an employee as you continue your conversation! Do you need assistance? Well why don’t you get off the phone and ask for it?

I’m looking at you ma’am who doesn’t seem to understand volume control in a public setting. I do not need to hear about your relative’s horrendous body odor or anything equally as disgusting.

And of course who could forget you? The salesman that feels the need to take personal calls while he asks me to lie out thousands upon thousands of dollars for a product. My time is important too and I don’t need to hear about your “crazy” ex-wife.

We live in the age of technology, information literally at our fingertips, but what has that done to common courtesy? When I was in college I was told once that if I’m ever walking into an office, a store, a place of business where I am going to ask for help I should NEVER be on the phone. I took that to heart and I abide by simple courtesy.

If I’m going to ask someone for help they deserve my full attention; their time is just as valuable as mine and as a fellow human being they deserve my undivided attention. The same goes for anyone that walks into my job and asks me for assistance. I will NOT compete with whomever is on the other end of that phone call. My time and my job are important just as important as yours.

Cell phones have become a force field, the cone of silence if you will; they almost give people the right to tune out to the world around them. Let me tell you it’s rude! I understand the need to be able to communicate at any given moment but there is no need to tune out the world around you. I mean let’s face it you tune out the world around you there’s just as much of chance of you walking into a person as there is walking in front of a moving car.

How difficult is it to stay outside for an extra sixty seconds to finish a phone call? How hard is it to let a call roll to voicemail every once in a while? It’s there for a reason.

Time for a little manners folks, we’re all capable of them.

Novena to St. Jude

 Novena To St. Jude

Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.

Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly -

Virginia Fallon

- and that I may praise  God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as  my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.

Amen

St. Jude

Who is St. Jude? As a sister of Delta Delta Delta I’m well aware of the work done in his name at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. A children’s hospital that specializes in childhood cancer research, they research, treat and cure many forms of cancer.

But St. Jude is known as the Patron Saint of Impossible Causes. My mother prayed to St. Jude when my brother was sick as a baby. She prayed for a miracle and that’s what we pray for now; a miracle.

Between St. Jude and St. Peregrine (Patron Saint of Cancer) the Fallons are praying for a miracle as my mother goes through chemotherapy and radiation.

Prayers to St. Jude to heal my mother. Prayers to St. Jude to bring us another miracle.

xoxo

Happy Birthday Dad!

January 13, 2015 ...

Great Sacandaga Lake

This week's Blog happens to fall on Papa Fallon's Birthday! So what better post to do today than to wish a very Happy Birthday to the best father a girl could ask for!

Supportive and loving from day 1! He's there for us in good times and in bad! I really could not have asked for anyone better in my life. Our recent bumps in the road have only further highlighted just how amazing he is.

So Happy Birthday Daddy! Hope you have an amazing day as amazing as you are! Love you lots!

xoxo

2015 Update

                An Update from the Fallon Household!

                This past Friday, January 2, Mama Fallon started her treatments at Memorial Sloane-Kettering. This process will last approximately six weeks not finishing until well into February. The first round of treatment went well, but it was a long, loong day! That being said my mom’s brothers used Christmas as a way to help her prepare for long days ahead, loading her up with DVDs to watch and even a portable player!

                This is all very good since her latest television fix has been watching Breaking Bad. I know! The irony that she picks now to start watching this particular show, with Walter White’s particular affliction, is not lost on me. But my parents both seem to love ending their day with a few episodes and pretty soon they’ll be all caught up. Thankfully I have gifted my father with season 1 of The Blacklist! One of my favorite shows, so fingers crossed they move onto that next.

                Although I’m pretty sure all the DVDs in the world pale in comparison to Cards Against Humanity. I really truly believe in that if you don’t laugh you’ll cry.

                However, when playing Cards Against Humanity sometimes you will laugh UNTIL you cry. There’s nothing quite like getting a group together to play this particularly irreverent, adult version of Apples-to-Apples will have you in a perpetual state of giggles. It did not surprise me at all to come home from work one Sunday evening to find my parents, my siblings and the Yergers seated around the dining room table immersed in an intense game. Believe me I don’t know that every kid would willingly play Cards Against Humanity with their parents, let alone throw their parents’ friends in the mix, but this particular group finding enjoyment was not at all a shock to me. And this game could have gone on for hours! Probably even had been going on for hours prior to my arrival home.

                So with the arrival of 2015 we’re starting it off going strong, we’re keeping spirits up and fighting this thing with everything we’ve got. The next few weeks are going to be rocky, it’s got to get worse before it gets better, but it will get better! We’re in the realm of making the best of things though and if nothing else this hiccup has shown us how amazing all of our family and friends are, we grow closer as a family unit and support each other. Things might be rough now but they won’t always be.

                After all when life hands you lemons, make limoncello!

A Year in Pictures

 January 2014

Silver Moon by, Katie Fallon

 

2.14.2014

My Big gets married!

March 2014

St. Mary's 56th Annual Sports Night

 April 2014
 New Additions to my Delta Family

May 2014

Caroline's Senior Prom

 

June 2014

 Caroline's High School Graduation

August 2014

A day at the Wineries

September 2014

Delta Love <3

October 2014

My First Hockey Game

 November 2014
Tri Delta Founder's Day - 126 years
Frozen on Ice





Christmas 2014

2015 Here I Come ...

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of my family and friends! May you all have a happy, healthy and safe holiday!

2014 has been quite a year for us in the Fallon household! We are definitely looking forward to good tidings in the new year.

xoxo

Prayers for my Mother

A post this week to make up for the weeks I have not, an explanation of sorts as to why my Blog has fallen by the wayside in the last few weeks.

You see dear friends, family and readers shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday had ended my mother was admitted to the hospital after having an episode of disorientation at home. Thankfully my father, who was present at the time, had the wherewithal to know that something was seriously wrong. My mother is normally quite the intelligent, well-spoken and articulate woman but in this instance her speech could only be described as gibberish and nonsensical.

And yes it was very frightening.

A hospital admission, tests, CAT Scans, MRIs, days later she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the episode she had at home classified as a seizure. After her initial diagnosis the doctors and surgeons at St. Francis Hospital decided the best course of action would be to perform surgery to remove the tumor, which was not only close to the skull but also small enough that removing it in its entirety was possible. Her surgery was scheduled for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving; it was a long day for our little family.

But as of now my mother is home, she’s in good spirits and truly you would not even know she had to have brain surgery. Alas she was mourning the fact that her doctors needed to shave part of her hair off in order to work their medical magic; having only just returned from the salon mere hours prior to her episode. I, however, have taken a more positive outlook on the matter! It’s the style now to have shaved half of your head and constantly assure her that her new look is in fact in style.

I’ve even supplied her with several pictures of Demi Lovato, evidence that it is in fact a style! Although I do not believe I have convinced her to adopt the style for long. I try.

Since her return from the hospital she has had a few follow up appointments with her doctors and even some with new doctors. Currently we are in step two of the healing process, the brain tumor was diagnosed as a cancer.

Yes, a cancer, one that we must fight and fight we will.

Now I plead with you, my readers, as my family navigates these unexpected events. We plead with you all for prayers ad good wishes.

We need positive thoughts. We need prayers. Right now my mother’s name is on the “Please Pray” list with three local parishes. We have reached out to family and friends in other counties, other states and even other countries. My Father’s reach has extended from New Jersey to Seattle. My mother has reached all the way to France. In Uruguay thanks to my cousin’s fiancée and all the way down to Africa and across Europe to Asia thanks to my uncle.

So please keep my family in your prayers, add Virginia Fallon to the “Please Pray” list in your parishes. We are keeping positive and praying hard, that’s all we ask in return!  Prayers and faith.