Growing Up and Other Annoying Happenstances

I've been working at my "big girl" job for roughly three and a half months now, but the reality of adulthood has only just slapped me in the face this week.  In the last month I graduated from college and was taken off my parents' benefits because I have my own now.  These are good things, things that mark success in our society - I'm becoming an independent adult, capable of caring for herself - but they're also slightly terrifying.  If this job doesn't work out for some reason, I'm SOL, no going home now.  It's not even that I want to go back home, I miss the love and security of living at home, but I do enjoy feeling like I can take care of myself (even if I don't want to sometimes).

We talk a lot about creating a sense of "felt safety" for the kids at my job.  While we know they are safe with us, a lot of the times they don't feel safe due to the residual effects of past trauma and abuse, therefore it is important for us as their guardians to create an environment in which they feel safe while also trying to teach them appropriate coping techniques and social skills.  It's not an easy job by any means, but it is a job SO worth doing and I love it.  Although I haven't been through any of the crap these kids have survived, I also need to feel safe and I don't know how to have that need met, I think I'm the only one who can meet it.  I'm scared this job won't work out because I'm going to screw something up or because I'm not strong enough to do the work.  I have cried more at this job than I have at all my other jobs combined, I love and hate this fact.  I love that I work in a place where I can be honest and vulnerable, but I hate feeling weak which is how crying makes me feel; also, a lot of the crying has stemmed from me feeling like a failure which is not a fun feeling.  I don't know how to shake this feeling, perhaps I too need to learn appropriate social skills as my first instinct at any sign of conflict or screw-up on my part is to run away.  I would rather face an entirely new situation than deal with my own mess.  I'm terrified of disappointing people, especially people I respect, whose approval I seek.  I want to be perfect, but that's impossible isn't it?  I'm going to make mistakes, it's inevitable, I can't prevent it no matter how hard I try, all I can do is deal with it, and learn from it.  That's kind of what we teach the kids, how am I supposed to teach something I can't even do myself?

Being an adult and working where you live is really stressful, taking care of other lives is intense and terrifying.  I'm not gonna lie, I enjoy watching TV and movies, they make for an excellent escape from reality.  Sometimes I wonder if running for my life or my freedom like the characters in my shows would be less stressful than real life.  All I'd have to worry about is making sure I don't get caught, everything would be somewhat black and white - don't get caught and stay alive.  I'd only have to make decisions for myself, I wouldn't have to worry about not disappointing people, and I wouldn't have to worry about making decisions for anyone but myself.  What an incredibly selfish thought to have, nonetheless, there it is.  Other selfish thoughts I've had include driving away every time I'm on the interstate, I could just keep driving, don't know where I'd go or what I'd do, but it doesn't matter in the moment.  I'm a flight risk.  Running away is how I deal with everything, or at least how I want to deal with it, that pesky growing up bit has caused me to start facing problems head on.  Maybe that's why I fantasize (I hate that word) about being on the run, because then I wouldn't really have to deal...and I like adrenaline.

In other news I'm pretty sure I also have a fear of commitment.  I've decided I don't want to die alone which requires me to put myself out there.  Why can't dating be easy, like in the movies?  I've decided what I want more than a boyfriend is a best friend who also happens to be my boyfriend.  I need to want to be around him (obviously) which means, for me, he needs to be funny or at least outgoing.  Every relationship needs a speedboat and a barge, I'm the unflattering barge in need of a speed boat.  I like sweatpants and staying home, metaphorically I move slowly and need someone who's not afraid to take the next step in life/relationships/etc.  I also need someone who is patient because I'm not one who trusts easily, maybe I just need to be more trusting, who knows?  I really want someone, I just want to skip the awkward, getting-to-know-you part where we're both walking on eggshells.  I want to know the real person, and be a real person in return instead of being my "best representative."  Unfortunately, real life usually requires that awkward first stage during which I usually freak out and question my ability to actually be in a relationship since I haven't figured my own self out yet.  I wholly desire a relationship, yet am afraid to commit to anyone because I don't want to get hurt, or more importantly, do the hurting.  Living is not an easy thing.

A Really Horrible Thing

Today a stray dog wandered onto campus, Red Bone Coonhound/Vizsla uneutered male pup, probably only 2 years old.  He had a collar on, no tags, and had a clip clipped to his collar ring.  He was emaciated, starving, and a little beat up, but very friendly.  We tried tying him up (as we had no other way of containing him) while we figured out what to do with him, I offered to drive him to a shelter, which is eventually where he went.  During our deliberations and investigation into what shelter to take him to, and whether or not the Sheriff's department would come get him, someone made a decision to let him off the tie as he was in danger of hurting himself and/or breaking the tie-out.  By the time we figured out where to take him, he had run off.  I searched for him for a while and eventually went to the neighbors where I found him; he had just killed all of their laying hens.  Understandably they were very upset, I explained that he wasn't my dog, he was a stray I was trying to take to the shelter, they understood and asked that I quickly remove them from their property.  I took him to the shelter and told them what he'd done.  I didn't ask, but I'm almost positive I took him to his death, probably a kinder, more humane death that being shot by a farmer or hit by a car, but his death nonetheless.

I am pissed that this happened.  What happened today wasn't the dogs fault or the person who let him off the tie's fault; it's the fault of whatever dumbass decided they didn't want a dog anymore and refused to pay a surrender fee at a shelter.  At the shelter the attendant told me someone had called earlier in the month trying to find a new home for a dog matching the description of the stray I brought in.  Someone abandoned that dog, leaving him to starve to the point that he dug his way into a farmer's chicken coop and killed all the chickens he could find.  Some careless human killed the dog and the chickens, caused a farmer to loose part of his income, and a woman to loose the pets she loved.  One human did all of this.

I urge anyone and everyone considering buying a dog to think extremely carefully before picking out a pup to bring home.  Dogs, while beautiful, loving, and loyal can be destructive, gross, and strong-willed; they are not a thing you buy, they are a life you take on.  Before you make that purpose ask yourself if you're willing to clean up messes, to replace destroyed furniture, to repair damage to the house, to feed and house the dog for the dog's lifetime, to exercise the dog on a daily basis, and to practice patience, showing love and giving grace while the dog learns to be a part of the family.  If you can't do even one of those things, you need to think twice before bringing a dog into your life.  I also urge everyone to consider rescuing a dog instead of buying a puppy.  There are so many dogs that need a second chance at life and are in a desperate situation by no fault of their own, but because a person made a really stupid decision.

End rant for the day...it's been a pretty crappy day so far.  

Small Victories

All of my work lately has involved extreme amounts of patience, grace, and delight in small victories.  I work at a boarding school for kids who've experienced trauma, been adopted, and are dealing with the consequential attachment disorders.  These kids are "at risk" for many things, the trauma they experienced altered their neurochemistry to help them cope so they could survive.  Long story short, they have some extra hurdles to overcome in life and require a little extra grace.  I absolutely love my job, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the kids and reveled in their successes, no matter how small.  It's definitely hard sometimes to recognize success or victory when they come in tiny portions, but I'm beginning to be able to see them.  Tonight a student was struggling with homework, he didn't want to do it and was hoping someone else would do it for him, fortunately and unfortunately for him all he got was support as he worked through each problem.  No one would do his work for him, but we did tell him what a great job he was doing.  Eventually and begrudgingly, he finished his homework all on his own.  Although it was a frustrating process, there was a small victory in that he did it, all by himself proving that he is capable of something he didn't believe he was.

Another new development in my life - I adopted a dog (Khazar).  To be more exacted, I rescued an older, male husky with somewhat severe separation anxiety issues who also happens to be the sweetest, most loving dog I have ever met (and I've met a lot of dogs).  I've been binge-watching "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan" ever since I decided to adopt and one theory that Cesar constantly repeats is that we get the dog we need, not the dog we want.  The more I've thought on this, the more I've realized how true it is.  When I started looking for a dog, I wanted a younger, female dog.  As much as I love huskies, I was extremely wary of adopting one as my first dog considering how much energy and knowledge they require.  Regardless of what I wanted, I found Khazar and that was it for me, I knew he was the dog for me.  I've second-guessed that a lot lately as I've begun dealing with his many issues, but having mulled it over for quite some time I've realized that he is forcing me to grow, learn, practice relaxation, be a calm assertive leader, be patient, and recognize small victories.  Since arriving, Khazar has broken his kennel, escaped my apartment 4 times, learned to open doors, and developed issues with submissive/anxious urination where he leaks.  He has also shown me and everyone he meets unconditional love, been a wonderful running buddy, engendered affection in all who make his acquaintance (he is beloved by all on campus), and not run away in spite of escaping.  When he escapes he always, always, ALWAYS runs towards his people.  The first time he escaped he found friends in the neighbors, the second time he broke into the school to be with the students, the third time he found me at lunch, and the fourth time he found (and played with) the wonderful maintenance men who promptly installed a new, dog-proof lock on my door (I really do work at the most wonderful place).  Khazar's leaking is triggered when I leave him, the first time he did it was the night before I left for a long trip, the second time was the day I left when I dropped him off with friends, the third time was the day I returned (and had to leave him in order to go to school), and the fourth time was today after I left for lunch.  It's been extremely frustrating (and rather icky), but tonight I realized that his dripping stopped as soon as I allowed him to be with me in class (I'd put him outside because I didn't want him to make a mess in school).  It was the quickest resolution he'd had to this issue so far - small victory!  I think all this dog needs is time and consistency.  He's currently spending two hours a day with a student in school.  Tonight that student told me he really loves having Khazar during the day which THRILLED me because, in spite of his issues, Khazar is doing something good here at school, he is touching lives which is really all that matters.

With all of these new learning opportunities, I'm regularly being forced to not panic, keep a level head, and problem solve.  God has a plan!  He knows me and my struggles, He put me at this school and sent me this dog to force me to deal with them and not give up.  I'm just like the kid struggling with his homework, I regularly tell myself that I'm not capable of doing this, that I'm not good enough for this dog or these kids.  I'm also like the dog living in fear that I'm not loved and that I'm going to be abandoned, constantly seeking out ways to make myself feel better and find the love I crave.  God put these things in my life to show me that I am enough and I am loved.  Hopefully, with His help, I can keep this positive outlook as I face the many trials I'm sure are headed my way.  I know that where I am now is where I need to be, I don't need to keep looking for something better out of fear that I'm going to be rejected but rather trust that I am all that I need to be.

The Fault in "The Fault in Our Stars"

I know this is a lot of people's favorite book, including some very close friends of mine, but I need to spew my feelings for a minute.  I absolutely refuse to read this book or see the corresponding film; I realize that some may find my critique (for lack of a better word) unfounded because of this and those people can feel free to correct me if they are so moved.  Also, just a warning, I'm going to swear, possibly a lot.

I refuse to support the "Fault in Our Stars" industry because it seems to romanticize cancer and make it somehow seem poetically tragic.  There is nothing poetic or romantic about cancer, it's ugly and horrible.  I assume that the book points these things out, but that's not enough, the book uses the premise of terminal cancer for a tragically moving love story, a girl is loved in a rather perfect way before she dies (and her friends die?).  Bully for her.  In reality cancer is a curse that slowly saps the life and breath from beautiful mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles.  It's not something to celebrate, life is what you celebrate.  Cancer doesn't help people find love, it tears them away from their loved ones, it doesn't bring people together, it rips their hearts out.  Family comes together out of love in spite of cancer, cancer didn't change or strengthen their love, the love was already there.  Cancer is not a fun thing that allows you to go on lavish international trips with Nicolas Sparks unicorn men, it's a disgusting thing that saps all of your money in medical bills till you have nothing left.  Cancer is a ball of stress that steals people's lives, there is nothing fun or mystical about it.

As someone dealing directly with cancer in my family right now, I'm a little pokey on the subject (and not as pretentiously fluid in oversized words as the characters in the book).  I realize that the book/film is also sad, contains heartbreak, etc, but it's also glamorizing cancer in the same way that the "Twilight" franchise glamorized vampires, and "50 Shades" glamorized domestic abuse.  Murder, domestic abuse, and cancer are not cool things that we need more of in this world so just stop.  I also hate it when people speak in ridiculously poetic ways just to seem intelligent, or well-read, or whatever, I'm not impressed, I kind of think you're being a douchebag.  Cancer doesn't bring anyone joy, cancer is the equivalent of sh*t on a sh*tcake, it f*cking sucks.

Sorry this rant was ill-organized and perhaps not logically sound as far as the argument went, but I don't really care, I'm in a foul mood and needed to attack something.  I realize that fans of the book don't think cancer is a jolly good time, but I felt I needed to attempt to bring the book down a peg as it's currently pissing me off.

The End...but also The Beginning

Change is terrifyingly exciting, especially life-change.  Our live change so much over the years.  Most of the time the changes are small or slow and happen over long periods of time so we hardly notice them, but sometimes they are very big and happen very quickly.  I think change is a good thing, but it also scares me to no end.  I like the box I live in, it's located very snugly in my comfort zone.  Occasionally I venture out and actually end up having a massively good time, while other times (far less frequently) I get burned.  That's life though, and life is meant to be lived, it's not something from which you should hide.  Really, I think this paragraph was just a long-winded way of saying living is a scary venture.

My life is about to drastically change (in a wonderful way).  Parks and Rec is ENDING!!!  What am I going to do!?!?!  Just kidding, although that is a true story and I will undoubtedly bawl like a wee bairn after the final episode airs.  I was watching Parks and  Rec last night, as it's in its final season each episode has been highlighting how the characters are handling huge changes in their lives - April and Andy are quitting their jobs and moving to D.C. so April can pursue her dream job, Leslie and Ben are moving to D.C. so Ben can run for congress and Leslie can do something that sounds really boring, but is actually important, Donna and her new husband are moving to Seattle, Tom is getting married, Anne already left (she better come back for the last episode), and Garry is retiring.  It's really sad to watch them all going separate ways, especially since the actors are legitimately sad the show is ending and they won't be working together all the time, but it's also happy because all the characters are parting ways for good, healthy reasons.  They're leaving home to pursue their dreams and find their purposes.  It's scary, but exciting.  The storyline in this season really speaks to me (wow that sounds dumb) because  I'm about to leave home for the final time, I'm starting a new job and creating a home of my very own.  It's not like I'll never be home again, I can come home and visit as often as I like, I'll only be thirty minutes away, but it won't be my home-base anymore, I won't live there, and that is sad to me.  I think it's okay to be sad as long as I don't let it consume me or act out in it, but I really would rather just not be sad.

Music Break!
"Holding On and Letting Go" - Ross Copperman



I'm a homebody, this is no huge secret, I love being home because it's where I feel safe and secure regardless of what's going on in the world.  Home truly is where the heart is because it's the place we feel loved.  Fortunately for me, my new residence is at my place of work, and my coworkers function like a family.  I am very blessed to have found the job I have.  While I may be sad and a little nervous, I am still very excited to set out on this adventure.  There is a saying that life begins at the end of our comfort zone, I think my life is about to start anew.

Change is a good thing because it provides us with an opportunity for growth.  When we are challenged we have two options, we can either rise to the occasion and overcome, or we can back away and stay put.  Challenges are the deciding factor in our lives, how we respond to them determines how we will live.  My faith plays a big role in my decision making.  I was so stressed about finding a job and not knowing what the future would hold for the longest time (most of last year).  I didn't know if I had made the right choice about my major at school and was feeling pretty out of control and hopeless.  My mantra for the longest time was "What am I going to do with my life."  I had no idea, I knew I wanted to help people and loved working with horses (and wanted a dog).  After I realized I had pretty much no control over the career situation I decided to give it up to God.  I have major trust issues, so trusting God was nigh impossible, but I spent a lot of time reading the Bible, praying, and just putting myself out in the job world in hopes that something would work out, thus "Hopefully something will work out," became my new mantra.  The more time I spent with God, the more I realized that He truly does love me and is working good things in my life; my mantra changed to "Something will work out."  Once I completely gave my life up to God, asking Him what He wanted to do with my life, lots of things started popping up which was almost as stressful as having no options.  I didn't know what He wanted me to do so I sought council with trusted friends; I learned that God gives us options in our life that are equally pleasing to Him and allows us to choose our own path and make our own mistakes.  We have free will, we do get to make decisions for ourselves, and we get to live with the consequences of our actions.  I have chosen to commit my life and my work to God for Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."  In surrendering to God, I have found peace.  I was so stressed out trying to figure out on my own what I should do and trying to control my life.  I finally realized I wasn't in control of what happens in my life, and that's a wonderful thing.  I don't want that control, I hate making decisions, I would rather have a loving guide give me direction.  As soon as I gave God the control and asked for His help, I got direction, and through lots of prayer, I made a decision.

My life is moving quickly and though I'm a little scared, I'm moving forward with it, trusting God to care for me.

Lord I'm Ready Now - Plumb

How I've Felt as of Late

Life Choices

Choosing what to do with your life is incredibly hard and can make graduating college a terrifying ordeal.  I've learned some things in the recent months while I was going through a panic-stricken-no-one-will-ever-want-me-what-do-I-even-want job hunt.  I know people say not to worry about it, you don't have to stay at your first job forever, just settle for a while, you will eventually find what you're meant to do, something will [just magically] turn up, blah blah blah.  None of that advice is particularly helpful, it tells you what to do, but not what you want to do.  Most of us grads aren't sure what we want, we just know we don't want to be miserable.  Here is my advice that I've gathered from a variety of reputable sources:

1. Pray about it - God has a purpose for us that only we can fulfill, if we devote our lives to him and let go of our own plans, he will gladly show us the way.
2. What did you want to do when you were ten?  Does that still interest you?  Is there anyway to work in that field or make that dream a reality?  Explore your options.
3. Make a list of reasons why you like to do the things you like.  Are motives or actions more important?  Think on that.
4. Ask other people what they think you're good at doing.  We are our own worst critics, sometimes we have a hard time discerning our own gifts.
5. Ask yourself what you would do if you could do anything.  It never hurts to put yourself out there.  Why not try for your dream?

We really don't have to know right now, but there is so much pressure on us to have our lives planned out that people seem insincere when they inform us of this fact.  It is indeed a fact.  We don't have to know, and in reality, we have know way of truly knowing what we're meant to do until we happen upon it.  Life wasn't made to be so stressful, it was made to be lived.

Oscar Picks (because I'm a Girl)

We're going to do this two ways: 1) Who I think should win (or want to win for my own selfish reasons), 2) Who I think will win and/or 3) If they're they same film (commonly used when I haven't seen any of the films and/or don't care)

Best Picture
American Sniper – Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan, Producers
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)- Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W.Skotchdopole, Producers
Boyhood - Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, Producers
The Imitation Game - Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman, Producers
Selma – Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
The Theory of Everything – Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers
Whiplash - Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster, Producers

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Steve Carell in Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Robert Duvall in “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”
Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood”
Laura Dern in “Wild”
Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods” 

Best animated feature film of the year
“Big Hero 6” Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli
“The Boxtrolls” Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable and Travis Knight
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold
“Song of the Sea” Tomm Moore and Paul Young
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura

Achievement in cinematography
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Emmanuel Lubezki
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Robert Yeoman
“Ida” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski
“Mr. Turner” Dick Pope
“Unbroken” Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Milena Canonero
“Inherent Vice” Mark Bridges
“Into the Woods” Colleen Atwood
“Maleficent” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive
“Mr. Turner” Jacqueline Durran

Achievement in directing
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu
“Boyhood” Richard Linklater
“Foxcatcher” Bennett Miller
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson
“The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum

Best documentary feature 
“CitizenFour” Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky
“Finding Vivian Maier” John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
“Last Days in Vietnam” Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester
“The Salt of the Earth” Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and David Rosier
“Virunga” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Best documentary short subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry
“Joanna” Aneta Kopacz
“Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski and Maciej Slesicki
“The Reaper (La Parka)” Gabriel Serra Arguello
“White Earth” J. Christian Jensen

Achievement in film editing
“American Sniper” Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
“Boyhood” Sandra Adair
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Barney Pilling
“The Imitation Game” William Goldenberg
“Whiplash” Tom Cross

Best foreign language film of the year
“Ida” Poland
“Leviathan” Russia
“Tangerines” Estonia
“Timbuktu” Mauritania
“Wild Tales” Argentina

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
“Foxcatcher” Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier
“Guardians of the Galaxy” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Alexandre Desplat
“The Imitation Game” Alexandre Desplat
“Interstellar” Hans Zimmer
“Mr. Turner” Gary Yershon
“The Theory of Everything” Jóhann Jóhannsson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”
Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
“Glory” from “Selma”
Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
“Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”
Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond
“Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”
Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Achievement in production design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“The Imitation Game” Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
“Interstellar” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
or
“Into the Woods” Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Mr. Turner” Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Best animated short film
“The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
“The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
“Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
“Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove
“A Single Life” Joris Oprins

Best live action short film
“Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
“Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
“Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger
“The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas

Achievement in sound editing
“American Sniper” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
“Interstellar” Richard King
“Unbroken” Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

Achievement in sound mixing
“American Sniper” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga
“Interstellar” Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
“Unbroken” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee
“Whiplash” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley

Achievement in visual effects
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
“Guardians of the Galaxy” Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
“Interstellar” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
“X-Men: Days of Future Past” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Adapted screenplay
“American Sniper” Written by Jason Hall
“The Imitation Game” Written by Graham Moore
“Inherent Vice” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Theory of Everything” Screenplay by Anthony McCarten
“Whiplash” Written by Damien Chazelle

Original screenplay
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
“Boyhood” Written by Richard Linklater
“Foxcatcher” Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
“Nightcrawler” Written by Dan Gilroy

Into the Woods

I am a heathen who had not seen the play or read the book (I think there is a book) before seeing the film, but I am still entitled to my opinion which is that the film was AMAZING, the best fairy tale of all - a very modern and realistic take on stories we all know.  The most common critique of the film I hear is "that was weird," I agree, but in a less negative manner.  People think the film was weird because it's not a stereotypical singing-in-perfect-harmony-whilst-riding-off-into-the-sunset-feel-good-happy-ending, it goes beyond the happy ending of fulfilled wishes and delves into the consequences those wishes and the harsh realities of life.  In real life people shouldn't get married without at least having one complete conversation (or, you know, spending time to get to know each other), they also shouldn't steal or accidentally murder people (even giants, who are people too), they should use common sense when traveling through dangerous places, they shouldn't kiss random people they meet in the woods (especially when both parties are married), they shouldn't trust sketchy strangers who offer candy to children, nor should they compromise their morals to fulfill a wish.  These are the kinds of things children should learn!  Don't get their hopes up, encourage them to enjoy childhood because it's actually pretty awesome (and the world is not always), remind them that life has ups and downs, happy endings are what you make them, and wishes come true, not free.

The film is not what most people (who like me have not seen the play) are expecting.  If you go see it I encourage you to watch it without expectations and with an open mind.  Allow yourself to enjoy the sheer talent of each and every individual involved in its production, because everyone involved is beyond fantastic!  This film is very funny (dark, dry humor which I love), well-done, and thought-provoking; I whole-heartedly recommend that you see it.  Enjoy!