Okay, my obsession for LOTR and things "Tolkien" is taking on a life of it's own. I wake up with the soundtrack in my head and fall asleep to it. I can't wait to go to bed because that's usually my "assigned" reading time. I am reading LOTR (I'm more than half-way done with ROTK), and wish I had read it ages ago. I read The Hobbit when I was 12, and of course saw the LOTR cartoon movies that came out when I was little. I tried to read FOTR, but I am usually reading more than one book at a time, and just never picked it up again. After I saw the movie, I was beyond hooked. I immediately wanted to read the trilogy (it's actually six books), but I didn't have them and my roomie Kenny didn't have the first book. At any rate, I got my hot, shaking hands on the books and the rest is history...in the making. I can't describe how weird this new obsession is. It's not just the movie (although I've seen it 8 times, and counting), it's just the whole story. I'm kinda loathing finishing ROTK because it will be the end, and that's the one thing I hate about finishing books...it makes me a bit sad. I love going online and reading from my favorite site to get info about the movies and the cast and other things "Tolkien". For once I'm the geek and fit in (somewhat) with other LOTR freaks. It's nice. I've always been a geek groupie, but this time I'm it. Well, as much as I'll allow it, anyway. I have signed up with discussion boards, but I haven't posted anything...still kinda shy about the whole thing. I love listening to the soundtrack and remembering what was happening during a particular song...very moving for me. I even want to use a song or two in my wedding ceremony (processional, recessional). I also took stuff from the first book to use as a URL for my wedding site (not up yet). I don't know how well that will go over, but I'm beginning to not care so much what others think. I'm glad Scott shares most of my enthusiasm, though not to the same extent. I just think it's weird to always be thinking about it in some way or other. Not that I've lost all of my mental facilities; I know I'm not living in Middle Earth or anything. It makes me happier to incorporate these stories into my life somehow. I dunno, can't really explain it. It sounds silly, I know, but all the same I'm thoroughly hooked. In fact, I'm so hooked, I'll even read The Silmarillion! And I'm very sleepy...two days of headaches makes you feel hung over.

-->More tomorrow