It's December and in addition to watching all your favorite Holiday specials (Rudolph, The Grinch, Charlie Brown) and Hallmark movies (Most Wonderful Time of The Year, Naughty or Nice, Snow), we all get to watch our favorite shows present us with their mid-season finales... or "winter break" finales. However you want to refer to them, they are always fun and packed with lots of jaw dropping, OMG moments and I love it.
Here is my take on some of my favorite shows so far this season. (Spoilers ahead if you aren't all caught up on The Walking Dead, Revolution, The Vampire Diaries and Castle.)
It only took 10 tries (TEN!) but I finally really loved an episode of Revolution. Miles (Billy Burke) and Charlie/Kateness (Tracy Spiridakos) finally met up with Monroe (the really super hot, David Lyons) and rescued Danny/the most blah character ever (Graham Rogers). There was a fantastic fight between Miles and Monroe, to which I squealed with delight to Jeff "two handsome boys fighting it out?! This show finally got good!" They used to be BFF's and now all that has changed. I didn't want either one to shoot/kill the other because aside from Elizabeth Mitchell's, Rachel, they are the only characters I care about. After talks of brotherhood and family and how Monroe had changed too much for Miles liking, they sword fought and punched each other and Miles ended up running away. David Lyons is a fantastic actor. My heart was breaking for him and the loss of his best friend even though I know he's a pretty horrible dude. Charlie finally found out her mom is alive. She cried. Surpise, surprise. All in all, the season so far has been pretty rough. You know I don't care for Charlie and I felt like every episode was just them trekking through the jungle whining about stuff. Since they finally rescued Danny and got Rachel away from Monroe, I am hoping the last half of the season will be MUCH better... It has to be, right? (Also, Giancarlo Esposito is a wonderful bad guy).
There are still 2 episodes left in December for The Vampire Diaries but I'm going to give you my thoughts on it anyway. I was pretty worried about itfor a few episodes there. Vampire Elena (Nina Dobrev) turned out to be a crying, bloody, useless mess. Every episode she looked like that picture over there. Ugh and I haaaaated the bad guy/vampire hunter, Connor (Todd Williams). I was really upset when they introduced the theory of "The 5 Hunters" and how their tattoos will lead to a cure for the vampires. A cure. For vampires. Dumb! Stefan (Paul Wesley) was all gung-ho on finding the cure for Elena because he thinks she isn't the same person she was before (mostly because she hearts Damon (Ian Somerhalder) a whole lot now), but now that they made Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) a vampire hunter and every time he kills a vampire, the urge to kill another becomes stronger and stronger (and he lives with a vampire... who is his sister), it complicates things. Thank goodness! I was really excited at the end of last season when I realized they were making Elena a vampire. Do not. DO NOT cop out now and try to reverse things. That is just so very frustrating! I thought it was real weird that after 4 seasons of pining away/obsessing over Stefan, she all of a sudden breaks up with him and tells him to move on. Huh? I'm not complaining, I love her with Damon as well as Stefan but it just seemed abrupt and off. She even made sexytimes with Damon as soon as Stefan left the house! Then they threw a twist in there. Come to find out, Elena is sired to Damon. His blood made her a vamp. Of course she is all about him now. Duh! Now, let me just talk about how much I love love love Caroline (Candice Accola) and Klaus (Joseph Morgan) for a minute. I love them. Their banter, their anger with each other. I love it all. If those two don't get together by the end of the season I am going to be severely disappointed. I. Love. Them. I'm excited for the rest of the episodes. I am intrigued by the teacher/witch fella and the girl from The Stupid Secret Circle being in cahoots. Mostly I just want Elena to not cry every episode from now on. You are a vampire, girl! Put your fangs in and act like it!
The Walking Dead. Holy moly what a fantastic season it has been. Such a complete improvement from the last one. It has been nonstop action and emotion and heartbreak and just pure awesome. The episode where Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) gives birth/dies was completely enthralling. Andrew Lincoln gave one of the best performances I have ever seen. Ever. It was so so so good. The governor (David Morrissey) is creeptastic (zombie heads in jars! Zombie daughter locked up!) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) is a total badass. Speaking of badasses, Carl (Chandler Riggs) seems to have upped his game. Instead of being told to stay in the house, he's actually handling a gun and killing zombies. All while wearing that damn hat. He hasn't taken it off once all season. I hope a zombie eats it... His hat, I mean. I suppose I should cut him a little slack. He had to watch his mother give birth to his sister, die and then shoot her in the head so she didn't turn. That has to scar a kid, right? Maybe I should let him keep his hat... The show left off with Daryl (Norman Reedus) and his brother, Merle (Michael Rooker) facing a horde of angry Woodbury occupants. If they off Daryl, I think the producers are going to have a horde of angry Walking Dead Fans on their hands. We'll find out in February what happens to him and the rest of our survivors when the Woodbury people and the Prison people come to blows. It's going to be exciting!
We are a couple of episodes behind on Once Upon A Time but I love this season so far.
Castle has been fantastic. If there are any writers out there who are struggling with trying to get the two leads of their show together as a couple, talk to the dudes over at Castle. They did it and it has been so fun. I love watching Beckett (Stana Katic) and Rick (Natahan Fillion) solve crimes together and also try to figure out how to solve having a relationship. It's funny and sweet and very heartwarming. Keep it up, Castle people!
We are 8 episodes behind on Bones. Is that enough to make us throw in the towel and stop watching? I'm not sure yet. I would like to get caught up eventually but I have been really disappointed in it so I'm not exactly looking forward to watching them. That's sad.
I have loved every single episode of New Girl this season. That's all I really need to say because I gush about that show all the time and you guys are probably sick of it. I love everything about it, that's all there is to it. Modern Family has been good this season as well. Also, Manny still gets on my nerves. We are a couple episodes behind on Elementary but I am really enjoying that show.
What are your thoughts on the shows this season? Any happy surprises? Disappointments?
I haven't wanted to blog about Breaking Dawn Part 2 for fear of spoiling anyone. I won't go into too much detail now, other than saying that I loved it because if you haven't seen it yet, you NEED to experience it the way I did. I went in seeing it without much expectation. I was excited to see it but at the same time, I was trying not to be overly excited like I have been with those movies in the past. I don't know if that enhanced my reactions to it or what but I was blown away. It was so so well done. I wish I had mine and Dawn and Kat and Erica's reactions on video for you all to see because I bet they were hysterical. It was a good end to the saga and dare I say I may have enjoyed it more than the book??? Maybe. I'll need to think about that a little more. It's weird that it's over. Not like how it was when Harry Potter ended and I was literally depressed by it but it just seems strange. Those years went by super fast; the books were huge and then there was talk of the movies and then they came out and boom, done! So fast. I love them though and I love what they represent. Sure, they could have been better. Sure, I love to make fun of them. Sure, they aren't as good as the books. But underneath all that, I really do love them.
Without posting spoilers for those who haven't seen it, did you guys like the movie? The twist? Let me know your thoughts!
It's nice when your friends and family know you as well as mine know me. I asked for no gifts for my Birthday this year. They very nicely ignored me, for which I am grateful. I got balloons, flowers, Dunkin Donuts giftcards, some lovely clothes and the new Nora Roberts book (which I let my sister keep for now because she had already read the first 3 chapters before I opened the present, haha). I came into work this morning with Biggby coffee and donuts waiting for me on my desk and Ron Weasley (see side pic) wishing me a "Magical Birthday".
I had an entire day to myself. Mom's (and Dad's) of little ones, I ask you: What would you do with a whole day to yourself? No commitments. No obligations. Just 8 hours of uninterrupted free time. Well, I didn't know what to do with myself. The possibilities were endless! I could have an Alias marathon or watch Labyrinth or Clue (all of which I considered). I could go to the library by myself and read. I could stay home and read. I could go to a book store and walk around. I could sleep all day. I could clean all day (no). As it turned out, I spent the morning on Pottermore, shopping in Diagon Alley and de-gnoming the garden, all while checking in with facebook and seeing all my lovely Birthday wishes. I went to Target and bought myself a new purse. Went to Qdoba and got myself some chips and guacamole. Went to Biggby and got myself a coffee. I watched 2 hours worth of Saved By The Bell episodes, all of which I remembered the words to. I read for a bit and facebook'ed a little more. I flipped channels and ended up watching the first episode of Downton Abbey. It was 430pm before I knew it and then I had to go get Charley from school. It was a great day and I guess the answer for me as far as "what would you do with uninterrupted time?" is concerned is this: a little bit of everything. It was delightful and I truly, truly appreciate each and every Birthday greeting I received. Thanks everyone!
What shows have you guys been impressed with so far this fall? I am over the moon happy with The Walking Dead. What a complete turnaround from last season. Every episode is emotional and a complete nail biter and I love that. For as much as Carl gets on my nerves, Rick more than makes up for it. I love Andrew Lincoln so much. He is a phenomenal actor. PHENOMENAL. Also, that last episode? Woah, people. Woah.
Once Upon a Time has been fantastic! The creativity and absolute elegance of that show pleasantly surprises me every week. I adore Robert Carlyle and I love that they keep incorporating Lost actors into the show. It is such a treat every week! Also, Josh Dallas (David/Charming) has the most flawless, smoothest skin of any actor I have ever seen. Seriously.
I adore Elementary. Johnny Lee Miller just makes me happy. Happy to watch and happy to listen to. He's just fun and the show is so entertaining.
I've slowly been working my way through Doctor Who's second season. I really love David Tennant. It amazes me how people come up with such creative storylines. It hurts my brain to think about it. Going back to what I said earlier about Downton Abbey: I watched the first episode because I was curious to see what all the hub-bub was about. I enjoyed it. I'd like to watch more of it eventually. I LOVED the clothes. Holy moly, they are so pretty and fancy and I know that is completely girly of me but every person looked so polished and perfect and I liked it a lot (Sidenote: I actually was planning on watching the first episode of Homeland but it's not on Netflix as of yet. Wah Wah). With all the BBC America I have been watching, don't be surprised if I'm talking in a British accent next time you see me. It can't be helped when it's in my brain all day.
Jeff and I finally tried Five Guys Burgers and Fries last weekend. It was good. The fries were excellent! I think I'm super spoiled with my dad's burgers though. I prefer his over there's any day. I did have fun experimenting with the futuristic pop machine, switching from Cherry Coke to Cherry Sprite. Charley would have loved that.
We watched We Bought a Zoo with Matt Damon and Scarlet Hohansson Johansson. We were both surprised by how much we enjoyed it. What a good, heartwarming movie! And the little girl who played Rosie? ADORABLE. Also, that's two movies in a row that I have liked ScarJo (the first being The Avengers). She might be moving off my list of annoying celebrities onto the tolerable list.
There is a show coming out in January on FX starring Keri Russel and Matthew Rhys, called The Americans. It's a spy show and it stars Felicity herself and Kevin Walker from Brothers and Sisters. And it's a spy show. I'm down. I'm excited. I can't wait. Check out the trailer:
There is a Firefly 10th Anniversary special on the Science Channel this Sunday at 10pm. Be a leaf on the wind and watch it!
I've read three duds of books in a row: No Quest For The Wicked- which I was SO excited for and totally let down by. It wasn't bad, it was just disappointing. I felt like nothing happened in it. The only plot was the characters running around New York City nonstop. I LOVED the end though and I'm looking forward to the next one. I sure hope it's better.
A Casual Vacancy- which I don't even know if I should count because I couldn't even finish it but then when I found out what happened throughout the rest of the book, I was SO happy that I decided to stop when I did. Ugh. Loving Frank- It's a story about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress. It's a little dull but I was completely jarred by the end of it. Which I was furious about. So furious that I made Jeff stop what he was doing when I finished it so that I could yell at someone about how much I hated it. And then I found out that it was a true story. Sheesh.
I'm currently reading The Island by Elin Hilderbrand. It's OK so far. Not great but not bad.
So that's that. What shows are you digging? What books are you reading? How would you spend your free time? Chat me up, let me know! And if you wished me a "Happy Birthday" or celebrated with me, THANK YOU. True, good friends and family are so hard to come by. Listen to me when I tell you this guys, you should NEVER ever take those people for granted.
My Birthday is in a few weeks (November 8th). I've asked my family and friends not to get me gifts this year because all I really want is to eat delicious food and hang out with my favorite people. However, that doesn't mean that I can't continue my tradition of constructing a wish list of things I would like to have. This list will be filled with practical things, silly things and things that are completely out of the realm of possibility BUT as this is a birthday wishlist and birthdays are supposed to be about hopes, dreams and wishes for the year ahead, it's all completely acceptable. Here are the links to my ------ > 30th and ------ > 31st Birthday Lists.
Now, 32 wishes for my 32nd Birthday:
1.) A really nice digital camera.
2.) Handwarmers. For work. I spend ALL day trying to keep my hands warm.
3.) Dancing lessons from Tristan MacManus and/or Mark Ballas.
4.) For Chris Brown to go away.
5.) To go to Ireland. Or England. Or Italy.
6.) A neverending supply of Trailmix. Preferably the Costco kind but I would accept the Meijer brand as well.
7.) My own Avocado tree.
8.) To go to "An Evening With The Tragically Hip" on November 28th at The Fillmore.
9.) A family pass to Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum.
10.) To be an Editor.
11.) To get paid to read books all day. I realize this is like #10 but if I were to get paid to read. JUST read all day long... That would be perfection.
12.) A pill that would eliminate all headaches forever and ever.
13.) An unlimited Barnes & Noble (or any book store) gift card.
14.) For Stephenie Meyer to finish Midnight Sun. I realize this is the 3rd year that this has been on the list but as it hasn't happened yet, I will put it on every time until it's published.
15.) A Fratelli's or Havilland reunion. I would be happy with just one reunion show. (I bet other people would too!)
16.) To hang out with Nathan Fillion for a day.
17.) To go see The Killers at Eastern Michigan on December 20th.
18.) To go see Ed Sheeran at The Fillmore on January 24th.
19.) A Labyrinth reunion. I realize this would consist of Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie and lots of Muppets and I am OK with that but Toby Froud (Toby) could be there too!
20.) To have lunch with JK Rowling.
21.) To live in/go to Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus.
22.) To hang out with Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
23.) A bigger house.
24.) For Jeffrey and I to write a book together.
25.) To go back to Disney World/Harry Potter World.
27.) To be able to help out at Charley's school every now and then. Being a working mom means that I don't have the opportunity to help out with his classroom in the middle of the day. It makes me sad when he asks me to and I can't. Wah wah wah.
28.) New bedroom furniture or more specifically, a new big dresser. Mine is real old and really falling apart. Drawers are no longer in brackets and the bottoms are all falling out. I am classy!
I first started listening to Ben Folds Five back in 1997 when Whatever and Ever Amen came out and "Brick" was a huge hit. I played the crap out of that CD and soon got their previous stuff as well. I loved the way they harmonized and the way Ben played the piano. The songs were heartfelt and silly and beautiful. I was able to see them in concert at Clutch Cargos after the release of The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (their least appreciated album and my favorite). It was a great show. Energetic and fun and filled with super fans. It was like a little cult following of people who love awesome music. In 2000, they broke up and I was super bummed. I resorted to playing their CD's over and over again, wishing for something new. Then Ben came out with his solo stuff. Rockin' the Suburbs is one of my all time most favorite records ever. For crying out loud, it's good. I have seen him in concert countless times since then and he puts on such a wonderful show. He has kept himself busy putting out his own CD's, collaborating and producing other artists, judging on TV shows and being a King of social media. Guys, Ben Folds is awesome and if you are a fan of his, he takes damn good care of you.
Look! That's my name up there!
Cut to 2011 when Ben Folds Five got together to record 3 songs for The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective. they were so pleased with the result and the reaction from the fans that they decided to record a new record over a six week period in January/February of 2012. The band released a version of the first single from the record, "Do It Anyway" online in an attempt to get support and crowd funding from fans through a website called Pledge Music. The response was overwhelming. With every pledge, each person who donated became "A Dam VP" of the album and was able to get the CD, their name listed in the CD insert, a signed record, T-shirts, signed lyric sheets and even a song with their name in it, written by the band (depending on how much the person donated). They met their funding goal by 200% IN THE FIRST WEEK. How's that for a dedicated fan base? The new album; The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind was released on September 18,2012 (I was able to listen to it an entire week early because, you know, #ImaDamVP) and became the band's first top ten charting album EVER.
When it was announced that they would be touring and coming to Detroit, I was ecstatic/heartbroken. Ecstatic because it has been 13 years since I last saw them. Heartbroken because with only one person working in a household, it means your funds are low. It would have physically made my heart ache if I had missed this show. Here is where my lybf, Carrie comes in. Knowing that I wouldn't buy tickets for myself, she surprised me with 2 for Jeff and I for the October 2nd show at The Fillmore. I was so happy, I cried. (If you don't have Carrie as a friend, people, I feel sorry for you. She is one of the best, most loyal friends I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and I love her a lot). So, the day of the concert comes and Jeffrey is sick. My Soulmate, Dawn was supposed to be watching Charley while Jeff and I went to the concert, so we decided for Jeff to stay home and Dawn to come with me. Surprise Soulmate date night, yay!
After parking the car and getting lost in the parking garage while trying to find our way to the street (don't worry, we didn't get too lost. Just enough to where we were giggling about how stupid it was), we made it to the Fillmore. I don't think it was sold out but there were a lot more people than I thought there would be. Before we went to claim a spot, Dawn went to buy a water from the bar. After the bartender gave her her water and argued with her over whether or not a Staffordshire Terrier is indeed a Pitbull, he looked over at me and then says to her "is this your little sister?". My 12yr old looking curse strikes again, LOLZ! We had main floor tickets, but chose to stand on one of the higher levels, so as not to get consumed by the crowd in front of the stage. Turns out we had a great view but it was F'ing HOT. So hot in there. We were fanning ourselves with our hands and sweating glowing like crazy.
Kate Miller-Heidke opened. She's from Australia and is fun and has a pretty voice. She does a really neat version of Eminem's "Slim shady" and the crowd loved it. She previously opened for Steven Page back when Carrie and I saw him in 2010 (if you remember from my blog back then, she was the highlight of that show).
Ben Folds Five took the stage right at 8:30pm. They would play a song from the new album and then an old one, switching on and off like that for most of the night. They did one song ("Landed") from Ben's solo record, Songs For Silverman. It was awesome. I had a huge smile on my face the whole time. After listening to these songs for so long on CD and my ipod, thinking that they would never get back together again, let alone make new music and perform live, it was a little surreal and freaking awesome. I looooove Ben Folds but when you throw in Darren Jesse and Robert Sledge, magic happens. As many people shouted to them last night, they are "Rock God's". It was one of those shows where the entire audience knew all the words to all the songs. You could hear the crowd over Ben at times and he loved it. How cool is that?! They told some funny stories and genuinely seemed to enjoy being there. It is such a great feeling when you can tell the artist or band that you came to see is happy to be there performing for you. They had fun and we had fun. It was a great, great show.
They put on one hell of an encore, which some super awesome dude was cool enough to post on youtube (be warned, there are swears in these songs!). ugh, it gives me goosebumps:
So, thank you to Carrie for the tickets and knowing how much I love these guys, thank you to Dawn for being a wonderful date and for enjoying your first Ben Folds Five show and thank you to Ben Folds, Darren Jesse and Robert Sledge for appreciating your fans and knowing what good music is all about. I don't know if they'll stay together or if they'll make another album together but I'm going to enjoy this reunion while it lasts.
Now, i leave you with this because it makes my heart explode with happiness:
And if you are not currently a Ben Folds/Ben Folds Five fan, WHAT are you waiting for? get on Spotify and check them out! No other band takes care of their fans the way these guys do. So go listen to some good music and "Do It Anyway".
It's Fall! You know what that means; All of our favorite TV shows are back (or will be shortly)! I'm really happy with some old favorites (as well as a little eh with one) and I have some mediocre feelings toward some new ones. We'll see what the coming weeks bring me when Modern Family (Tonight!), Once Upon A Time (Sept 30th!), The Vampire Diaries (Oct 11th!) and The Walking Dead (Oct 14th!) start back up. Oh, how I love TV!
I didn't watch a ton of stuff over the summer. I read a lot (surprise, surprise) but I did watch White Collar and it was really great. They were just renewed for a 5th season and I am ecstatic about that.
This is the first time that I can say, aside from Jason Stackhouse, I was completely disappointed with the entire season of True Blood. It pains me to say it but it's true. I thought the storylines were boring and kind of all over the place and I hated that Sookie had pretty much no interaction whatsoever with Eric and Bill. They underused both Christopher Meloni (man, did they waste him and his talents) and Scott Foley (that poor guy cannot catch a break on all these shows he is guest starring on). I still hate Tara but I really love Pam. The season finale showed a little bit of promise at the end of it, so we'll see where they go next season. With Alan Ball leaving and a new fella taking over, I'm really hoping things get better. I'm OK with the story having nothing to do with the books as long as the stories are GOOD and creative. So much of last season was just blah to me and that makes me sad.
We also watched Bunheads. Yes, WE. Jeff watched it with me (he will probably deny that if you bring this up to him). I loved Gilmore Girls though and it's by the same people who made that. It's basically Gilmore Girls 2.0 and it makes me laugh and there are cameos by former GG actors and I love that so it made for a fun show to watch.
The Bones season premiere was eh. They wrapped up the season finale storyline too quickly and listen, I know it's a TV show but the ease of which they solve these murders is appalling to me. I guess after so many seasons it's just starting to get on my nerves. New Girl came back last night and good God, I LOVE THAT SHOW. It is so consistently funny and I truly love all the actors and characters on it. It makes me so happy. I just love it.
We also checked out The Mindy Project last night (which was created by Mindy Kaling, who played Kelly on The Office). I would give it a solid OK. I'm not completely in love with it and I didn't completely hate it. It definitely showed promise though, so I will continue to watch. Speaking of The Office, we watched the season premiere. I didn't watch at all last season, so I didn't know what was going on with some stories but I was still underwhelmed by it and that makes me so sad. I used to love that show so much. I'm glad this is it's last season and I hope they really do it justice and go back to the roots of what made it so funny to begin with and that it has a good send off. With that being said, however, I think that a Dwight spin off is a terrible idea and they should put a stop to the thought process on that immediately. Anyone remember Joey? Ugh.
Dancing With The Stars :All Stars started up on Monday. My votes belong to Kelly Monaco. She was the season 1 winner and the whole reason I started watching this stupid show to begin with. I love the chemistry between her and her partner Val. Also, she is absolutely gorgeous, so there's that as well.
Now, my thoughts on Revolution: It's a JJ Abrams show. It has a lot of Alias/Lost connections. It has a cool concept, which I like. I absolutely adore Elizabeth Mitchell and Billy Burke. I think that Monroe fella is real hot. So, why then do I not like this show more? I don't dislike it yet and I know we are only 2 episodes in but I am a little annoyed by it and a lot bored with it. Maybe it's because I feel like all they do is walk around in the woods? Maybe it's because I find the fact that that one boy (Nate/Not Nate) can follow the main group of people so easily and they never see him coming is stupid? Maybe it's because I feel like there is too much fighting? Mostly I think it's because I don't like the characters who I am meant to like. That Maggie girl is irritating. The aforementioned Nate/Not Nate does nothing for me. The one guy with the AC/DC shirt is just meh and it saddens me to say this but... Charlie drives me nuts. She's always on the verge of tears, even when she isn't supposed to be and she constantly has cry-face. I hate that. Her good qualities (the hunting/survival skills) remind me of Katniss, while her bad qualities (whiny/need to constantly help/only to muck it all up) remind me of Kate from Lost. Kate, people. I hated Kate! Anyway, she will no longer be known as Charlie to me. She will henceforth be known as Kateness. I want to like this show, I do. I want to know why the power went out and why everyone is so angry but I need to be entertained at the same time, so these next few episodes need to wow me.
You might notice that I haven't mentioned any excitement toward the premiere of Greys Anatomy. Well, that's because I have none. I will watch because I have invested a lot of time into watching this show but I am so angry at it that I'm really not looking forward to it. Every interview I read with Shonda Rhimes makes me like her less and less and that alters my feelings on the show... even though it probably shouldn't.
I am still watching Doctor Who. I just started David Tennant's stint and I adore him already. I totally get why he is everyone's favorite Doctor.
I can't tell you all the books I've read over the summer because there are just too many but I will tell you (as I told all of my Facebook friends), go read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I'm not going to tell you anything about it, just take my word for it and read this book. Then we can discuss it. It's so so good, guys. Also, Emily Giffin's new one, Where We Belong was fantastic. Fantastic. Read that one too!
Lots of new music came out in the last couple weeks. All by my favorite bands; The Killers, Green Day, Ben Folds Five and Mumford & Sons. The Tragically Hip have a new one coming out as well. All of those bands (with the exception of Mumford & Sons) are coming here in concert. ALL of them. What are the chances that all of your favorite bands come to town within months of each other?
There was this episode of Full House called "Back To School Blues". It's from season 3 and it's the one where -------- > DJ starts 7th grade at a new school. She quickly realizes how different Jr. High is from Elementary school and ends up having to sit alone in the cafeteria at lunch time... in a phone booth, where she pretends to be talking to someone but really, she's just listening to the time. Now, I know television shows and movies make school out to be a lot more dramatic in some cases but this episode always comes to mind whenever someone starts middle school because it showcases how awkward being at a new school can be. Throw in being in a new school, in a new CITY and it makes it ten times more awkward. (Oh, and no worries, DJ turns out just fine by the end of the episode and has plenty of friends to sit with at lunch).
I bring this up because my niece, Emily, started 8th grade in a new school, in a new city this week. Yikes. She's been dreading it ever since talks of their family moving began back in December. And really, who can blame her? Being a kid is tough enough without having to start all over and make completely new friends in a new environment. I remember how awkward Junior High was. I was constantly aware of my actions and always terrified I was going to make a fool of myself. The school was bigger, the kids seemed bigger/meaner and the classes were more overwhelming. I was in that weird transition phase between friends that some kids go through. Kind of in limbo. Not really belonging to one group or another, just doing my own thing. It was weird and I always felt like an outcast but I suppose most kids feel that way at that age, right?
Emily is a wonderful kid. Brilliant, actually. From the moment she was born, I knew she would be special. She has turned into a beautiful, funny, talented girl who is obsessed with the Hunger Games (ha!) and I'm really proud of her. She is a fantastic writer and a terrific actress and I have no doubt whatsoever that she will have a whole plethora of new friends by the time Christmas rolls around. But right now things seem real sucky for her and I get it and I want her to know that everyone goes through things like this. EVERYONE and we all turn out a little better and a little stronger for it.
With that being said, I thought it might be fun (or cheer her up) if we shared some fun/horrifying/silly Junior High stories/memories with her so she knows that this is a life experience that we all go through and we all make it out A-OK.
I'll go first:
-In 7th grade, I had gym first hour and I thought that was the worst thing in the world (later, in high school, I ended up having swim first hour. I was cursed). It wasn't that bad though. It just took some time getting used to a new routine. One time, I wore a skirt to school. Obviously, you had to change for gym class but I left my nylons on and figured I would just put my PINK sweatpants on over them (we were learning how to play football outside). After class, when I went to change, I had pink fuzz ALL over my legs, stuck to my nylons. I was horrified. I think I managed to de-fuzz myself pretty good before embarking on the journey to my next class but I was super paranoid the rest of the day.
-The very first day of Junior High, I didn't think to bring a pen, pencil or paper with me to class (who does that?!). I thought it would just be a day full of talking and we wouldn't really have to do any work. I was completely embarrassed when everyone else was getting all their supplies out and I was just sitting there. I think someone ended up letting me borrow a pen and a piece of paper. I felt like an idiot.
-This one is my favorite/worst. It also happened in high school but I'm counting it anyway. We all had to go to the gym for a pep assembly. Tons of kids/teachers were in the the stands, students were flowing into the gym to take seats in the bleachers. I was walking across the gym floor to get to the bleachers, tripped on an exercise mat that was in the middle of the floor, stumbled and fell flat on my face. With the whole school watching. I was mortified. So so embarrassed. When I got back up, I tried to laugh it off along with my friends who were with me but I was horrified. But see, now it makes for a good story!
Go ahead and share some of your stories because the point is; we all go through it and we all survive it.
And really, at least we don't have to enlist ourselves into a reaping, right? Junior High is more appealing than the Hunger Games isn't it?? There's your silver lining!
To say that this has been a stressful year for us Scott's would be a bit of an understatement. Sometimes when things get a little overwhelming, I try to remind myself that there are plenty of really great things right in front of me so that I don't succumb to those stress eating demons. Because no matter how bad of a day you are having, you have to remember that there is always something in your life (big or small) that will cheer you up. Recently things have been particularly difficult, so to cheer myself up, I am going to list some of the things that make me happy.
-My parents porch up north. This thing is just perfection. It is the epitome of a "Happy Place". I'm sure being with my parents adds to the comfort of it but it's spacious and relaxing and I dare you not to want to take a nap the second you sit down on it.
-A really great Iced Coffee. Currently my favorite is the McDonald's one. Weird, isn't it?
-5pm on a Friday. It's completely cliche' but for goodness sake, it is so freeing to leave work, knowing you don't have to come back for a couple days. I practically sprint out of my office every Friday to get to my car.
-My Sister. You see... growing up, Natalie and I didn't get along at all. I thought she was a pest (she was). She thought I was a goody-two-shoes (I was). We were like night and day. Polar opposites. But then something happened. I can't pinpoint what or when but we became friends. Two peas in a pod. We love the same things and we laugh at the same things. Let me tell you, that girl is hysterical (not to mention generous). Not a time goes by that I am not in tears from laughing whenever we are together. She's my perfect "pick me up".
-Waking up at your usual alarm time and realizing you don't have to get up. So simple but such a damn good feeling to be able to go back to sleep.
-The Tower of books in my room. There is something about the giant stack of books in my room (that is almost to the ceiling now) that gives me comfort. Knowing that I've read them all and that they all made me happy one way or another puts a smile on my face. They are like old friends.
-A Tom Proctor Cheeseburger. I talk about it all the time, but honestly, you won't find a better burger anywhere. He's a master.
-The Library. All those books, just waiting to be picked out by people and read and enjoyed. The smell of them. The library is a magical place.
-A hug from my Mom (or just hearing her voice). No explanation needed really. She's my mom. She's supposed to reassure me and make me feel better. Mine is particularly good at it.
-Reading. Duh. Of course. There is nothing like being stressed and then immersing yourself into someone else's world. You don't have to think, you just have to experience. It's the best.
-Going places with C and Fred. I've talked about this before. It's part of what makes this whole unemployment process so bittersweet. I love that we are all together on the weekends. We don't have a lot of money (duh) but we are real creative at finding free/fun things to do.
-Cookies. Who doesn't love a cookie? Chocolate chip, Oreos. Whatever. I'm game for any kind.
-My Friends. Whether it's an extended texting session or a much needed girl's night, they are calming and therapeutic.
-A sunny, 73 degree day. Having the windows open, not needing a fan. It's the perfect temperature and will instantly put me in a good mood.
-Having a freezer full of ice cubes made. Huh?I know. this one sounds weird. I grew up in a house where there were 2 giant bins full of ice cubes, plus about 20 ice cube trays at all times. The Proctor's make an art out of filling ice cube trays. I don't have as many as my parents, but to see that they are made and ready to be used in a glass of ice water makes me happy.
-Reading to Charley at night. He doesn't always pay attention, but I know he enjoys me spending time with him before bed every night and sharing stories with him. I hope that's one of the things he remembers most when he grows up.
-My Doggy-Brother, Jagger and my Puppy-Nephew, Tiger. Of course I love my own dogs too but these two get SO excited to see me that it instantly makes me happy. I love love love them.
Blogging/Writing. Whether or not anyone reads my stuff, I am OK with it. I enjoy writing and it helps clear my head. Even though I just do it for fun, it makes me feel like I accomplished something. So, if you are reading this, thanks!
I think that's a pretty good list. What simple things make you happy or cheer you up?
