An early Christmas present

I think that I have talked to you before about my love of Justin Timberlake. Today is not different from that day a few months ago. I don't know how many of you watched SNL last weekend but JT was host. He and Adam Samberg did the funniest skit called D**k in a Box. Anytime I can get a little JT and a lot of mocking Color Me Badd is a good time. So, check it out.

SNL - Digital Short - A Special Christmas Box *Uncensored Ve

Fraktastic Thursday

Sometimes the Internets make me smile. Especially when I get cool free stuff because of said Internets. For example, on Thursday I have two passes (Thanks, TV Guide) to see the Battlestar Galactica mid-season finale at the Tivoli theater. I think it's going to be pretty awesome to see BSG on the big screen. I will try not to spoil you all on Friday with the details. Assuming, of course, the uber geeks don't beat me to the line. Lucky for me, I work very close to the Tivoli.

Make it Work

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Season Four of Project Runway may not include Tim Gunn. All I have to say to that is Project Runway without Tim Gunn gets a big Auf Wiedersehen from me. Make it Work, people.

Radiators and Firefly

Lately I have been tired. Like really tired. I know the culprit behind my lack of sleep. It's my heating system. I've never lived in a place with radiators before and they take some getting used to. For the past week or so I have been woken up by the strange noises coming from my radiators. The strangest part though is they they make noises at night that they don't seem to make when I am awake. The last few nights I have been woken up about 5 different times a night. It's really starting to annoy me. Is it so much to ask that I get a full night's rest?

So, last week I tried in vain to begin Firefly. I know I said I was going to watch BSG first but there is too long of a wait for season one on Netflix. Sigh. Anyway, I fell asleep watching Firefly, probably because I am so frakkin' tired, but I am giving Firefly another shot tonight. It's strange seeing Gina Torres as not evil. I mean, she's frakkin' Ana Espinosa. But I do love Wash aka Steve the Pirate from Dodgeball. Hee.

In other television news, FX is at the point in the Buffy reruns where tomorrow is Graduation Day Part II. Upon reflection, it's one of my favorite episodes. Not only is it super poignant and, at the same time, odd but it's got the very hot quasi-sex/bloodletting between Buffy and Angel. I think that scene was hotter than the actual sex scene they had back in season two. Anyway, tomorrow will be a good day for those of us who don't own the Buffy dvds (i.e. me).

Santa Came Early

Good Monday morning to you all! You may be wondering why I am so happy considering that most of the people I know are without power this morning (and have been for several days). Well, Santa came to my house last night in the form of my parental units with this:



It's my new, huge tv. And I pretty much love every inch of it. It fits perfectly in my entertainment center and it's BIG. I'd have to say that the best part though it the fact that I can hook up tivo and the dvd player at the same time. My old tv did not allow this (Yes, my old tv was very old. I calculated and it was 12 years old. Damn!). It's brilliant.

Also, last night I bought myself the long awaited and long wanted Songs for Christmas five disc set by Sufjan Stevens. I'm listening to it right now. It's basically as great as I thought it would be. I like it when I am not disappointed. I know that some people might not think me all that sentimental but I have always been a sucker for Chrsitmas tunes, even during those four hellish Christmas seasons working at Target.

I finally read another book and I need to write about that but I am just so ecxited about my tv that I can't really concentrate on the book right now.

Current Listen: The First Noel ~ Sufjan Stevens, Songs for Christmas IV: Joy

I think I have a crush on Ben Gibbard

Last night I went to The Pageant to see Ok Go and Death Cab for Cutie with my pals Deanna and Mat.

Ok Go put on a great show in spite of the vocal ailments of the lead singer. He apparently only starting speaking again a few hours before the show began. I don't really know Ok Go's music. I only know the one song with the treadmill video. But their music was pretty good so I bought one of their cds. I've been listening to it this morning and it's, not surprisingly, good. They finished their set with a lovely dance performance. I was seriously impressed by the choreography.

The real story of the night was the Death Cab performance. First, I should say that Deanna and Mat aren't huge Death Cab fans. They each know a few songs here and there and I would say they know more Postal Service than Death Cab. I was kind of wishing that Bill was in the crowd with me since he is the one who turned me on to Death Cab. Although, I think Bill was with me in spirit as a bright yellow Focus was parked next to my car in the parking lot. I took that as a sign.

I was a little unsure what to expect out of the band's performance. I was thinking it would be a somewhat low key performance. Boy was I wrong. Ben Gibbard is kind of like a dancing fool up there on stage. Not that he looks foolish just that he basically is dancing around with his guitar through most of the show. The show was super up beat, even songs that I would classify as slower sounded more upbeat and happy live. Don't know exactly how they managed that.

I was so impressed by Ben Gibbard who played the piano, guitar, and drums during the 1 hour 40 minute set. They did a nice job of integrating new and old songs. There were only two songs played that I didn't know. Must have been off of their earliest discs. I heard every song I wanted to hear except Tiny Vessels.

Anyway, the show was great. If you get a chance to see this Fall tour, I highly recommend it.

7/13/07

I know where I will be. Do you?

And this too shall pass

I haven't done a Gilmore Girls recap in a while. There is no particular reason other than a general feeling of "eh" about the show. Plus, I was more than a bit peeved at the way Lorelai and Christopher were heading. I suppose if I am going to comment at least this week I get to mention Lane.

The Bad: Yep I am just getting right to the point.

Lorelai married Christopher. There. I typed it. Thankfully we didn't have to see the actual wedding. I think I might have puked. Alas, I take hope in the fact that Lorelai looked very sad when addressed as Mrs. Hayden. Let the journey back to Luke begin.

Also, in the bad....not enough Luke.

The Good:

Rory's meltdown: I thought it was very realistic. I went through a similar experience at her age so I could relate.

Marty!: Yay! Marty's back. I love how he is acting like he has no idea who Rory is. It's cold and kind of mean but Rory was pretty obtuse when he was obviously smitten. Plus, Marty's looking fine.

Mama Kim: Any episode with Mama Kim is a good thing. I loved how she just moved in with Lane and Zach. Hee. That is a spin-off show in itself.

Lane and Zach: I am liking them together more and more. I think it's funny how they are both just crazed over becoming parents of twins. Although, they are going to need a bigger place. And which one of them has health insurance? I doubt Luke has a plan for his employees. I mean, who is paying for the birth of them babies? Also, I read on Kekio's site that she is not actually pregnant but last night it looked very realistic.

Paris: I liked the little pedeconference between Paris and Rory. Paris pretty much had Rory's number minus all the antidepressants. Who knows after next week and the big reveal? Rory could hit the Lexipro pretty hard core.

Current Listen: Summer Skin ~ Death Cab for Cutie, Plans

Seeing is believing

Having good eyesight is something I have always struggled with (thanks Mom and BioDad). I started wearing glasses in the second grade. I wore glasses or contacts up to the point where I made the not too smart decision to get Radial Keratotomy. That fact that I was trusting some dude to slice open my eye was minor in comparison to my 20 year old mind saying "no glasses FOREVER."

Well, my doctor was not the best of docs. He messed up my eyes and then didn't tell me. I went about my merry way for a few years until one semester of graduate school reading took a toll on my eyes. When I went to a new doctor to get some reading glasses I was informed of the very serious nature of my eye sight, or lack thereof. I was told I would never be able to wear glases again since my eyes were so drastically different. I wasn't so bummed about that since I had gotten used to a face without spectacles. What I forgot to account for that the toll that wearing contacts everyday takes on your eyes. It's hard, y'all, to put in contacts every morning.

But alas, I went for my annual eye checkup this weekend. My new, rather nice eye doctor and I had a long talk about my eyes. She said that both my eyes were so horrible that I can wear glasses again! Yay! And also boo at the same time. So, by next week I should have a pair of glasses again. I can only wear them one or two days a week because of my eye condition (i.e. frakked). But, it will be nice to give my eyes a lil' break from the contacts. I didn't get any "cute librarian" frames. I just got some nice wire rimmed specs. Honestly, the glasses reminded me of Trotsky and that is kind of why I bought them. Trotsky was the cutest of the Bolshevik Revolutionaries, just ask Frida Kahlo.

Also, I cut my hair this weekend. It's goodbye to ponytails and hello to bob city. You may not even recognize me the next time we meet.

Current Listen: Girl from Mars ~ Ash, Gilmore Girls Soundtrack

Ring my bell

This seems like a silly thing to post about but today I got two phone calls at work. Crazy! Some of you may be thinking to yourself "big frakin' deal," but since I have started my new job I have never received to phone calls in a day. It's been exciting here. Ha!

Seriously though, a lot of people ask me how I am liking the new gig. Apparently, I have not been responding with the vigor some feel I should have since I landed my "dream job." I guess you could say I am adjusting. This place is so vastly different from my last place of employment that it is difficult to make comparisons. I mean, I basically have funds to do whatever I want and that is strange and scary. My boss cares about me and wants to me succeed. These are not things I am accustom to. Also, cataloging is hard, y'all. I am not sure I am picky enough to become as good as I need to be but I am trying.

I can tell you all this much; I miss students. On a normal day I don't see any college kids or help them in person at all. I've had a few email reference questions and that's great. But, I really miss students. The whole point of working on a college campus for me is the interaction with the students. My department is divided by people who like students and people who just want to catalog books but why does it have to be an either/or issue? Can't you like students and catalog books? Tuesday is my day at the main library and I get to see students there but I don't get to help them. I am looking for ways to get back into teaching a library skills course or something of that nature just to hang with the kiddies. If I learned one thing at my old gig it was how much fun (and yes, frustrating) college students can be.

Anyway, I don't know how much I will be posting between now and Thanksgiving. I am going to a conference next week and won't be back to work until after the holiday. But, if you have any restaurant recommendations for Boston, please comment away.

GMYH makes me sad

Well, my one and only reliable link to The O.C.; the one I have come to depend on for accurate, insightful, sometimes snarky info has made me sad. GMYH doesn't like Che. I 've never watched a whole episode of The O.C. although the chances of that happening greatly improved once Misha Barton was offed. However, I have always been able to turn to my trusty, head-banging GMYH for a solid recap of the current week's O.C.

I anxiously awaited GMYH's analysis of Summer's hippie friend. Oh, boy, did I get an analysis. Here's what he had to say about my beloved Chris Pratt:

In addition to referring to herself as post-ironic, she has befriended a guy at Brown -- the kind of overexaggerated hippie who shits in a bucket and doesn't wipe so that he can save water and trees -- who looks like he smells bad and is clearly too dumb to get into Brown in real life, but does have a dijereedoo, which is apparently not only for Aborigines anymore. In fact, it is implied by Josh Schwartz and McG that there are people in the world whose idea of having fun is sitting in an Ivy League dorm room and jamming with a bongo, clavas, and a dijereedoo, all while not getting drunk or high. The hippie dude actually said, "Your turn to jam on the dij'." I wish I made that up. Sadly, it was followed soon thereafter with "Wherever you go, there you are," said with no hint of irony.

Now, I will conceed that from GMYH's description the writers of The O.C. have made Pratt sound like a frakkin' douche. I hope that stops soon and that the viewers of The O.C. will soon begin to appreciate the funny that Pratt can bring.

But if you don't want to wait for this week's O.C.; you should check out season two of Everwood on ABCFamily. And no, I will not let it go. My heart will go on for the Everwood.

Wish you were here

Last weekend there were multiple parties happening in Indiana and I was even invited to two of them. B-Mart has the details of her party over on her blog. Now, don't take this the wrong way, B-Mart because I totally love you and miss hanging out with you but the party I wish I could have attended was Robyn's party. It's nothing personal; it's just that Robyn's party was populated with a ton of people I consider to be my pals. Plus, the drunk dial I got on Saturday night told me that I missed a pretty good time; also, if I am not there to act as DJ is it really a party? Anyway, I got sent some pretty awesome pictures from Robyn's party. I am going to post them here and, of course, make some comments.

Incriminating/Funny Image 1:



Here we have Eduardo as some sort of Skeleton man, Robyn as Miss Elizabeth Bennett, and Jeff as some amalgam of Gary Oldman's Dracula and Johnny Depp. I really love Jeff's costume. It just makes me laugh and also think very Jeff. Heeeeeee. But the really question is where is Mr. Darcy? Couldn't anyone get a wet Colin Firth to come to Southern Indiana?

Incriminating/Funny Image 2:



Here we have the boogie down butterfly/fairy Kay and Mike Sodrel aka Dodgeman. I laughed out loud at this picture. I can hardly believe that Dodge topped last year's go round as the Moyer but he did it. Oh and folks, go out and defeat whatever version of Sodrel you can on November 7.

Incriminating/Funny Image 3:



This is possibly my favorite picture of the evening. First we have Sodrel again (picture whore much?), then we have Bring in the Paynes as K-Fed and Britney with a little mock up of Sean Preston. Love the boob grab, Payne. Then we have Mr. Chemistry as Buchman (someone you would only know by living in Hanover) and then two differing versions of pirates.

Incriminating/Funny Image 4:



This picture isn't really all that funny or incriminating. I just wanted everyone to see the cute as a button Mrs./Dr. Dodge. She is the naughty doc who sent me this even though she pretends like she doesn't know anything about it. Also, I am not so sure I want a drunkard doc working on me. Better leave all your drunken doctoring to working on Sodrel.

And finally the last picture.



Here we have the oh so smartly not dressed up Purvii, Pat as some cross between himself and Mark Foley's intern and the Payne/Federlines. That Britney is a dirty whore for grabbing Pat's crotch right there in front of KFed. But then I guess that is no big shocker.

Anyway, it looks like you all had some good, not precisely clean fun. Wish I could have been there. Maybe next year.

*I apologize for the delay of this post. Blogger and I were fighting over the uploading of images. Blogger won a battle or two but I won the war, as I tend to do.

ETA: Link fixed. Ooops.

There are no words

Friday night I got to see the St. Louis Cardinals become the World Series champions. I was there. 30 rows from the field. I have been trying to explain to people what it was like to be a part of this experience. But really there are no words. The stadium was buzzing. I could feel it the minute I got off the Metrolink. There was an excitement, an electricity in the air. Everyone was just so happy to be there; hoping, knowing that the Cards would make this our year.

As I walked into the stadium with my Moms, we were discussing the last time the Cards won the Series in 1982. I can tell you that there aren't a lot of things I remember about 1982 and the Cards winning the Series is one of them. One of the things I do remember is being jealous of my friend Andi for having a Han Solo doll that was the perfect size to play Barbies and I desperately wanted her to let me play with Han Solo just once so my Barbie could kiss Han. Anyway....

Friday night was intense. There was a small part of me that really thought we might not win when we went down 2-1 but then my boys came out and played. I have to give some major props to Dave Eckstein. That little dude earned every cent of his salary this year. He really did a fantastic job. Yadier Molina was pretty damn fabulous too. I can see him becoming one of the best catchers in baseball if he keeps it up.

After the game, all the fans poured out into the streets around the stadium. It was sort of like controlled chaos. People were so happy. I have never given out so many high fives in my life. My hand actually stung for a while. And my voice was a bit hoarse from all the yelling.

Of course, there was a copious amount of drinking that took place. Although, it did take us a while to find a bar that still had beer. We walked to two places that were sold out and this was all the more ironic since we could essentially see Anheuser Busch brewing facilities. However, we did eventually find beer and many happy drunks. I didn't see a fight or scuffle or any meanness going on. I didn't even see any mocking of the Detroit fans in the crowd.

It's an experience I will never forget. I can't wait to be that little old lady talking about how I was at the 2006 World Series where we inaugurated our new stadium with a glorious, underdog win.

GO CARDS!

This is messed up

You know, I think I have done a pretty good job of keeping this blog lighthearted and politics free. I never wanted this space to become a polarizing place where I would offend people like Mike or Bill or whoever. But somedays I come across a news story that really makes me sick.

In Ohio, good thing you moved out of there before you had kids Andrew and Jessie, some peewee footballers show us just how far we have come in our fight against racism. You know, I don't totally blame the kids; someone must have put that idea in their head or heard it and said, "Great Idea, Adolf". Clearly their parents bought them the paint and the wigs, the frying pans, and then drove their punk asses to the football game. And that is just wrong. These people should really be ashamed but I am sure they aren't. Most racists aren't ashamed of their behavior.

If Jane Fonda was a librarian

She would be appalled and amused by the Betty Glover Library Workout tape.

It's funny to see things from the Eighties and it's nice to see how much libraries have changed and how much they have stayed the same.

Current Listen: Heartstrings ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station, Every Time You Say Goodbye

Frak me

There have been rumors going around the internets that bad things (FRAKKIN CHRISTOPHER) are afoot in Stars Hollow. And now, there is confirmation. Don't click on this link unless you really want to know how badly I hate Lorelai Gilmore right this second.

Link to hellish news. Frakkin Palladinos and their studip storylines and the mess they left. Although, I suppose I can't really blame this one on them. Stupidheads.

So apropos

In what classic Woody Allen film do you belong?

You belong in Annie Hall.
Take this quiz!








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Go Cards!

I was on pins and needles last night watching the Cards. But alas, my boys came through.

We are headed to the World Series once again. And I've got a free ticket. I am so excited.

Current Listen: Cloudy Days ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station, Everytime We Say Goodbye

What a long, strange trip it's been

After thirteen months, I can finally say I have seen every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I have to say that over all seasons three and five were my favorites in Angelverse.

Season five ended so strangely to me. I mean, it doesn't make sense to me to go on a suicide mission. Especially when that mission involves Spike. Why are you putting Spike in harm's way, Angel? However, I would have to say it was an interesting way to end the show. But before I talk about the finale, I want to speak for a second about The Girl in Question. That episode had me laughing out loud. All the Spike and Angel jealousy over The Immortal. He's been stealing their chics for centuries. Ha! I think the chemistry between Angel and Spike is fabulous. Spike brings the funny in big ways. Also, I call foul on Andrew dating women. That dude is gay; there is no other reason why he would love Warren so much.

Anyway, on to the final episode. I liked how it played out generally. I loved that Lorne killed Lindsey. Man, the anger that Lindsey had about Angel sending Lorne to kill him was so believable. "Angel was supposed to kill me," indeed Lindsey. A fitting end to a fun bad guy. Wes's death actually made me cry. I liked that Illyria turned into Fred for Wes's final moments. It seemed fitting that Fred was a part of the finale. Connor's return was even welcome. I liked the one-on-one scene with Angel and Connor. It's nice that Connor wasn't a whiny asshole and even gasp thanked gasp Angel.

The open ended way they left it makes me wish Angel would have had a season six. It would be interesting to see who survives. And, if Spike lives, does this mean that he is human now? I think that would make for an interesting story line. How would Spike react to being a real boy and not having super Vamp strength and immortality? And how would Angel deal with signing away the prophecy? I've heard movie rumors going around but I wouldn't be shocked if that never happens. Guess I will have to come to my own conclusions.

I was planning on getting into Firefly but I really want to catch up on the back story of Battlestar Galactica. So, I am going to watch BSG before getting back into Joss territory.

Current Listen: World Without Sound ~ Roseanne Cash, Black Cadillac

40 questions on the wall

I am going to post all about last night's Cardinal victory as soon as the pictures are emailed to me. I think it goes without saying that the game was brilliant. And also, GO Cards!

And now, I steal from Bill:

1. What is your occupation? islamic studies catalog/subject librarian
2. What color are your socks right now? I am not wearing socks.
3. What are you listening to right now? Marching Bands of Manhattan ~ Death Cab for Cutie, Plans
4. What was the last thing you ate? A green tea muffin
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Nope.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Cerulean.
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Robyn
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Bill is a pretty rad dude.
9. How old are you today? In my mind I am 21 but in reality I am 30.
10. Favorite drink? A White Russian. Yummy.
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? It would have to be tennis.
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Highlighting is a dye job, no?
13. Pets? Yep; the oh so friendly and charming Zaria.
14. Favorite food? I would have to say mushroom and tomato pizza.
15. What was the last movie you watched? The Foxes of Harrow. It was pretty good.
16. Favorite day of the year? My birthday.
17. What do you do to vent anger? Play racquetball; curse; cast spells. Hee.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie. I could play Barbies all day long. Everyday. In fact, I did just that for many years with my friend Andi.
19. What is your favorite fall or spring? Fall.
20. Hugs or kisses? Why must I choose?
21. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries. Trader Joe's had awesome dried cherries.
22. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? Yes. Didn't your mother teach you manners?
23. Who is most likely to respond? I did not send this out but I am going to go with Beth.
25. Living arrangements? Me, Zaria, and my nice, new pad.
26. When was the last time you cried? I believe it was Monday night when I watched A Thanksgiving Tale, an episode of Everwood.
27. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoe racks filled with shoes. I love shoes.
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Again, not sending this out.
29. What did you do last night? Almost lost my voice at this game.
30. Favorite smells? Tommy Girl perfume, Clean laundry.
31. What inspires you? I like to think I find inspiration everywhere.
32. What are you afraid of? Car accident 14. They keep getting progressively worse.
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Spicy hamburger with cheese. Hey, I am from the Midwest. We put cheese on everything.
34. Favorite dog breed? Labs.
35. Number of keys on your key ring? Seven.
36. How many years at your current job? I am just in my second month.
37. Favorite day of the week? Sunday.
38. How many states have you lived in? Three: Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri,
39. Favorite holidays? T-day. X-Mas. B-days.
40. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? What is heavy machinery? I've driven tractors, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers.

Rain, rain go away

Some of you may not know this but I have tickets to the Cards-Mets game tonight. Now, if only the weather would frakkin cooperate.

I am so excited to go to my first Cardinals game of the season. I think it's pretty bitchin' that my first time in the new Busch Stadium is for a playoff game. What makes this game even better is not only are my seats awesome (I'm in section 152 just to the left of home plate; look for my blue poncho and red stocking cap. Although on tv I think I will be just to the right of home plate.) but also they were free tickets. Sometimes it's good to have a mother who works.

At any rate, it's been raining all day which is bad for the field and won't make the most enjoyable game. None-the-less, I will be cheering on my Cardinals. Here's to hoping we make it to the big dance and not get swept this time.

Disgust with BMG

There was a time when I really liked BMG. You know, the company that sells you cds for really cheap. That time may have had something to do with my "roommates" Karl Rove, Condoleezza Rice, and Karen Hughes getting a lot of cds for free and they just gave them to me. Some of you who hung out at my apartment then may not remember seeing my roommies but always know they were present in spirit. Anyway, I recently rejoined BMG. It's a good way to beef up your cd collection with old stuff for pretty cheap. However I have been having an issue with shipping recently. The last two orders I put in to BMG never came. I was charged but they never came. Or at least they didn't until I emailed them to remind them that charging me for goods I never received is a bad way to practice business.

But yesterday was the real kicker. See, I am on the email me and I will tell you if I want this month's chosen selection list. Well, I forgot to check that other email address for a couple of weeks. So, I got sent some cd I will most likely never listen to. What irks me is the items I ordered in August have yet to arrive but guess what I get yesterday? You'd be right if you said the monthly selection. Guess who is getting another email from me today? BMG, that's who.

In other news about my mail, somehow I have been subscribed to Sporting News. Why and how this happened is a mystery to me. I am sure I know some guy who might want these magazines. I know I won't be reading them. Unless, I can read up on the Bengals. Then maybe I would have a clue who Robyn is talking about when she starts the football chatter. Hee.

On the Angel front, I am steadily making my way through season five. Spike just got his hands cut off. That was frakkin disturbing. I am elated to see Lindsay back on the screen though. Interested to see how this all plays out. Also, is it possible that Wes just gets hotter and hotter each episode? I think it might be the case.

Frakkin Beth

Beth, I could kill you for getting me into Battlestar Galactica. It's brilliant and written better than anything I have watched since Everwood. I am only sorry haven't started watching until now. I feel a little lost but I get the feeling that by the fourth or fifth episode I will have a good deal of it figured out. Now here's the thing though, Beth. I have started watching Buffy, Angel, Firefly (well, it's in the netflix queue) and now Battlestar Galactica. Have you even tried to watch an hour of Everwood?

Battlestar Galactica scares me a little mostly because America = Cylon. Freaky deaky! This show is spot on with it's interesting political intrigue. Who would have thought that a revamped 70's show could be so awesome? Anyway, I like the show very much which is sort of the last thing I need right now because I am enjoying too many new shows this season. Something is going to have to get cut soon. More than likely that something will be Six Degrees. Sorry, J.J.

Besides television I have become obsessed with Trader Joe's. I make my trek every Sunday to fill up on delicious goodies. Their sun-dried tomato and basil hummus is frakkin awesome. Also, their spanikopita rules too. Anyway, if you've never been to Trader Joe's you should check them out. Pretty rocking place.

ETA: I think some people coughRobyncough thought I would be mad about last night's Gilmore Girls. Well, you're wrong. I've accepted that Lorelai will be dating Chris. I didn't say I liked it but I have accepted it as a given. So, fine. Let's see how this plays out. The funny thing is, I really used to like Christopher. I always thought they have good chemistry. But as his character played itself out; Chris just seems really selfish to me. I suppose we will have to watch and see.

On the Lane front, while I am unhappy that she remains pregnant, it was good to see she and Zach were going to attempt the nasty again. In a bed this time. And I liked the Rory and Logan dirty texting. Hee. And that she stole it from Paris and Doyle. Bigger hee.

Freaking Glarkware

How do Glark and his minions keep coming up with tees I want to buy? Like this new one: Crackpipe remote. If only it looked a little more like my beloved tivo remote.

For those of you who love Battlestar Galactica, they have come up with this lovely gem. The Frakkin Toaster. Hee.

Off to spend more money on tees I don't technically need.

I think I might like television shows

Last night I sat down to watch a couple of episodes of Angel season five (aka Season Spike!). They were pretty good, in case you were wondering. I am loving the interactions between Angel and Spike. I think it brings a level of wit and humor that the show has been lacking for a while. My one real complaint is that Gunn is always in a suit. I get it; he's the lawyer man now but can't we see him in jeans and a tee every now and again?

Also, I have to say that Lost just didn't do it for me last night. I mean, we really got very little info on the Others and we are basically right where we were at the beginning of the episode. I don't know if I am sticking around for the whole season of this show. I am going to see how the next few weeks play out.

In other news, I loved the Project Runway reunion show. It was pretty fun. Although, Keith pretty much solidified himself as a total ass. I am so sure the producers sabotaged you and that a P.A. told you to leave. Take some responsibility for your actions, dude. I am excited to see what happens in the final two episodes. Who will win? I've purposely avoided looking at the collections online so I can be surprised when they come down the runway. And, congrats to Michael for winning fan fave (and how cute were those braces?). If I had voted, he would have gotten my vote.

Better late than never?

Sorry Robyn for not posting this sooner. But I really loved and a little bit disliked last night's Gilmore Girls episode. Here's the breakdown.

The Beloved:

Luke punched Christopher. Fucking Christopher.

Kirk as faux Luke. That was pretty damn funny.

Rory's complete smackdown of Lorelai for sleeping with Fucking Christopher. I think Rory looked as hurt as Luke did.

The Lorelai meltdown. I'll admit that I got choked up a bit after the grocery store run in.


The Bad:

Luke telling Lorelai she's supposed to be with someone like Christopher and he'll just pour her coffee. First off, no. Lor may have been reared in the upper class but she ain't one of them. And no one deserves a douche like Fucking Christopher.

Liz telling Luke that he and Lorelai were on different planes. I am not so sure I agree with that assessment. Also, TJ's voice just annoys me.

The Horrible:

Lane is pregnant. Why would they do this to her character? Does someone on the writing staff really hate Lane or rather, Keiko? Because no one in a fledging rock band who has been married for about two weeks is going to want a baby. I do not see hilarity ensuing. Especially since they made Lane hate sex. God. Is it wrong that I hope she miscarries or something?


All in all, it really felt like the Gilmore Girls of olden days. I don't know about the rest of my fellow GG lovers but I am not missing ASP.

Apparently I am not all that agreeable

Via Bill:


My Personality

Neuroticism	36
Extraversion	57
Openness To Experience	60
Agreeableness	31
Conscientiousness	61

Test Yourself Compare Yourself View Full Report Find your soulmate / pysch twin MySpace Quizzes, MySpace Surveys and MySpace Layouts by Pulseware Survey Software

The one where I rant about car alarms

Ever since I've been old enough to drive and, thus, owned my own car I've hated car alarms. Most people don't own cars that are so expensive that they need an alarm. And, if they do then they generally have a driver, negating the need for an alarm. If you live in a city and have a car alarm that you set or have a neighbor who has a car alarm that they set, then you know how easy it is for the punk kid on your block to fuck with you and set off said alarm.

Also, most of the time when people set their car alarms; they aren't fucking there to hear the god damn thing go off. So, what the fuck good does it do you? None. Because if someone is going to steal your car then they are going to steal your damn car. That is why you have car insurance, the quiet, silent car alarm.

Some of you may be wondering why I am on a tear about car alarms. Well, let me tell you why. Saturday morning, very early, around 4 am a car alarm went off. It probably went off several times before I actually work up because I am a pretty sound sleeper. Well, from 4am-9am, that fucking alarm went off almost non-stop. I refused to get out of bed mostly out of spite. I would not let that alarm beat me. I would not give up my sleeping in day to that car alarm. I was also thankful I didn't have a kid who couldn't sleep because of that damn alarm.

As the day progressed there was no more disturbance from the alarm. That is until about 9pm. Yes, I realize that this means I was home on a Saturday night at 9pm. Hey, shut up. I was out until 2am on Friday. As I was looking at my phone trying to figure out who to call, not 911 since this isn't an emergency, but the police for sure. I look out my balcony to see one of my neighbors beat me to it. So, the alarm went off until about midnight and then the car was gone. I don't know if it was towed or what. I don't care. All I know is if I see that car near my home again, I am spitting on it. If you don't believe me, ask Bill. He's seen me spit on a car.

Ugly Betty

So, last night I watched the premiere of Ugly Betty. What a great show! I think America Ferrara is a fabulous actress. I've loved her since I saw Real Women Have Curves. The show is just the right mix of sweetness, sadness, and camp. The rest of the cast is pretty good too. Her boss, and the evil folks at work are a nice balance to her home life. Her nephew is about adorable and a half. He does need to give our dear Betty some fashion advice though. This show is getting the tivo season pass.

In other news, I finished season four of Angel last night. That was really a horrible season. Such a let down after the great season three. Anyway, I am glad to see the Connor won't be around next season. Fred's "Who's Connor?" line was great. I wonder how these folks will handle being the big bosses of Wolfram and Hart? I can't wait to find out, plus SPIKE. I need some Spike.

I like cute, funny boys who play guitars. So, sue me.

Have any of you been reading John Mayer's blog? He doesn't post everyday but when he does it makes me chuckle. Recently, Rolling Stone had an article about Mayer, which I read since I am a subscriber. In it they go on and on about how John Mayer wants to do comedy. I for one can see that.

A few years back VH1 had this show with john Mayer called "John Mayer Has A TV Show." It was pretty funny. He did all these silly sketches with people and it made me laugh. It made me like his music even more than I already do.

Anyway, go check out his blog. I do. I think I might go buy his new disc too.

I am a folllower on occasion

" The good fuck" You are 63 fuckable!

You're about as fuckable as most people, which is not bad. Actually, it's quite healthy! You know how to act and what's appropriate. You know when it's the time and place for what. And people can use that to see you erotically. It's no surprise that you can attract a good number of people. You're what they want! A realistic babe who knows when to get a bit wild! Yeah, I'd fuck you!

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 20% on humpers

Link: The how fuckable are you? Test written by ShizzleBitch on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

They're baaaaaack

Well, the all at once dreaded and anticipated Gilmore Girls season premiere has come and gone. Beth has a decent assessment of last night's episode on her blog. I am willing to agree with her on most points. Honestly, I know a lot of people in Stars Hollow world were concerned about life without the Palladinos but I think it's safe to say I wasn't one of them. So far David Rosenthal has got me. Like Beth, it seemed like a toned down version of GG. Which, when compared with the stupidity that was last season, is fine by me.

I loved that the girls played some racquetball. Although, they proved my rule of always wear goggles. I loved that Logan is clearly over the moon yet playing it safe with Rory. It gave me a chuckle to see Rory not holding all the cards in the relationship. I loved that Lorelai blew Christopher off, although previews tell me that won't last for long. I loved the parallels between the Luke/Lorelai fight and the ruination of the diner.

I think we are in for a different season, probably the last season. But in this case, I don't think change is bad. I am going to keep my fingers crossed that Luke and Lorelai go their separate ways and then find their way back to each. Until then, I am along for the ride.

My addiction: television

As Beth discussed on her blog, there are several new shows that have caught my interest this television season. I don't know how I am going to keep all these new shows in addition to the stuff I already watch.

Last night, I watched Brothers and Sisters. Beth liked it and so did I. However many critics seem to hate this show. I found it pretty believable in the way siblings relate. Plus, Ron Rifkin was creepy even when he wasn't Sloan. I've said it before and I will say it again, Greg Fucking Berlanti. I actually squealed when I saw his name on the screen. I will follow this man anywhere. So, this one is a keeper.

I also watched Six Degrees this week. Like Beth, I am slightly on the fence about this show but I do like Campbell Scott. And, I think my J.J. Abrams love is well known on this blog.

I feel like I am completely copying Beth here but I am really looking forward to Heroes tonight, the premier of Gilmore Girls tomorrow, and Ugly Betty later this week. I have noticed that I am watching more ABC than just about anything these days. Let's do a tally:

ABC: Grey's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, Six Degrees, Ugly Betty
CW: Gilmore Girls
NBC: Heroes, Studio 60

Also, I am curious to see what is going to happen with What about Brian and I am not sure how I can watch The O.C. at the same time as Ugly Betty as I only have one t.v. and I haven't figured out how to watch a show and tivo another. Sigh.

Also, for all you t.v. lovers out there Everwood begins syndication on October 2. My tivo is already set. In fact, I am thinking about buying a tivo specifically dedicated to Everwood. I'm totally serious, y'all.

The one where I get inspired

Last year most of you followed my progress at the gym and on my diet. I was pretty proud of myself for doing all the work. But somewhere along the way I fell off the horse. I have reasons or excuses; whatever you want to call them. And now I find myself back at square one. Back where I was before I did all that work, before I felt good about myself again. I was sitting in my apartment earlier this week wondering what it would take to get me back on the wagon. I was waiting for someone to light a fire under my as that I myself couldn't light.

It's strange to think about how the internet brings people together who should never really be together. I mean you "meet" people in chat rooms or on blogs or on random web sites and these people affect you. You read about them or you read their stories and it changes you. It makes you think you know them and it makes you think they know you. Even though that is not often the case.

The point of all of this is to say that Pamie has inspired me. On her blog she discusses in detail her first marathon run. As I am reading this entry I am crying at my desk. This woman, who I have never met and probably never will meet, has reduced me to tears and at the same time has give me the final push I need to get up off my ass.

Tomorrow morming I begin my training. I don't plan to run a marathon. But I do plan to run Hanover's Race to the Point in May. I don't want to walk/jog it like last year. I want to run it and maybe even place in my age range (so, look out, Robyn). I have a title to defend after all.

Dear Fall, It's me, Jalehlabad

I love Fall; it's my favorite season. It's perfect jeans, tees, sweater, and converse weather. I love when the leaves change colors and makes everything orange, yellow, and red. I can't wait to see my new neighborhood under Fall's influence. You might think that since I live in a city now that I don't see many trees but you would be wrong. My neighborhood is tree filled and I live by several parks and a botanical garden. So, I am not too far from nature.

Anyway, for the last few mornings things have been a bit chilly. It generally warms up in the afternoon but I am liking the chilly mornings. Of course, that is until I have to start scraping my car windows. But that is winter and I never said I liked winter. I am ready for fall. I am ready to shut off the a.c. and have the windows and the patio door open. In fact, minus the patio door, that is the condition of my apartment right now.

In other news, Project Runway was a repeat last night. Thanks for the head's up, Marissa. So I spent the evening with my second favorite vamp, Angel. He's not Angel anymore though. Now he's big, bad Angelus. I can't help but think things are going to get worse before they get better. Anyway, I like that David Boreanz seems to have fun playing Angelus. Also, Wesley just gets hotter and hotter as the show goes on. I don't really like the triangle of Wes, Gunn, and Fred but whatever. I can live with it if it means less Connor on my screen.

Finally, I am going to buy some OK GO/Death Cab for Cutie concert tickets at lunch. Who's jealous?

Meow mix

So, first of all, thanks for all your well wishes for my nutty cat. It turns out she doesn't have, in fact never had, a urinary tract infection. What she actually has is stress induced inflammation of the bladder. Yeah. Who would have thought that my cat (who is only four) would be so stressed out? Apparently the move wasn't as smooth for Zaria as it's been for me. Anyhoodle, she didn't need surgery but she is on meds for the next three weeks and she has a new, special diet.

On the work front, my office is being renovated today so I am surrounded by drywall and noise. It's a lot of fun. I also had my first reference question and, of course, it had to be a difficult one from a ph.d. candidate. But I am trying to muddle my way through it. Also, I just put in a request to attend a conference in Boston this November. I've never been to Boston; so those of you who have need to give the goods on the nice places to eat.

ETA: Holla to my pal Marissa for getting a book review shout out on pamie.com. I am so jealous.

Otherwise, I am leading the boring life of looking forward to Project Runway tonight. It's truly exciting this life I lead.

I am Aaron Sorkin's bitch

Last night I caught the pilot of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I am hooked. I knew it was going to happen.

Aaron Sorkin just writes so well. I already care about a few of the characters. Bradly Whitford and Matthew Perry have great chemistry as best friends and as a writing team. I have always liked Sarah Paulson and I think she's good but I could see Emma Caufield in that role really doing a great job. Steven Weber plays a great bad guy.

ETA: Plus, Lauren Graham is going to have a two episode guest appearance this season. As herself! I am so glad she is pals with Matthew Perry.

Anyway, it's a great mixture of poking fun at politics and Hollywood. Two things which I enjoy very much. If you missed the pilot, you can get it from Netflix and then catch the new episode next Monday.

In other news, if you hadn't noticed, I changed the blog layout. I just wanted a change. I am not sure how long I am keeping this one but it's here for now.

I am continuing my foray into Angel season four and have been truly grossed out by the Connor/Cordy hookup. I am kind of glad I have a few days until the next dvd comes. Not sure I can handle more of the ick factor. I have also finished the first half of the Forsyte saga. I am now looking forward to the divorce of Soames and Irene. I know he did a horrible thing that is really unforgivable but I cannot stay mad at Soames. I really feel sorry for him and I pretty much loathe Irene. I am interested to see how this ends.

On the home front, I have a very sick kitty. I know most of you have no love for Zaria and she really has no love for you. But I love her and I am her person so she loves me. Right now my cat is at the vet awaiting x-rays, urine sampling, and possible surgery. All because of a urinary tract infection. It hasn't been fun giving her medicine twice a day for two weeks and it's been even less fun finding bloody urine on the bathroom floor multiple times a day. But really, I just want her better. Because I can't imagine it's been all that fun for Zaria either. If you've ever had a urinary tract infection, I think you can sympathize with my cat. All I am hoping for is no surgery because surgery = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. And to think, just a few days ago I was mocking those who had insurance on their pets.

It's Friday but I am not in love

This morning I woke up fairly scared. I had this horrible dream about some dear friends of mine dying and then they left me their child to raise. Not that I don't love kids but the dream really freaked me out. So, if you get a call from me later on today to make sure you are all right then you know my death dream was about YOU. Also, you might need to have a kid so that sort of excludes about 99% of my readership.

As I was showering this morning, to get my mind off my terrible dream, I started to compile a list of the things I don't miss about living in Indiana. Since I am sure you are just dying to know what that list is I am going to take the liberty of typing them out for you.

1. Slugs in my apartment. Since moving to a second floor pad and not living in such close proximity to a river I had been able to rid my home of slugs.

2. I only have to drive for 5 minutes to get to Target. I could walk it in about 15 minutes. Now, I know Beth (who lives in Indiana) has me beat on this one but I don't care.

3. Cecil Whitaker's Pizza. It's fucking good pizza.

4. My old hairdresser. I found her. Daniele is going to work her magic on my hair on Saturday. Needless to say, I am stoked.

About this time my cat tried to jump into the shower to say hello and my list went away. I am sure I could add more but I really don't feel like it. Now, this is not to say that they aren't things I miss about Indiana because there are some of those as well. For example, I forgot how noisy people are. My river town place was so quiet and private. It is very different from my place here. Also, knowing a barista at the local coffee shop was nice. I miss free iced teas and chatting when I should have been doing other things. Most importantly, I miss WNSC. Wednesday night social club was just awesome. It was a great group of folks who knew how to drink and have a good laugh, even when they contemplated kicking me out for watching Alias. I am missing that here. I mean, drinking alone on a Wednesday night seems kind of pathetic. Not that this has ever stopped me before.

One final note...I have been listening to some Buffy podcasts on itunes. This guy Revello does a decent job talking about Buffyverse. I don't always agree with him but it's nice to get another perspective. One thing that really stuck out to me is that he commented on all these people who liked Willow and Kennedy as a couple. All I have to say is who are these people? And do they have any common sense? Do you, my fair readers, know anyone who likes Kennedy? Because if so, please put them in contact with me so I can ask them how such a thing is possible.

On being a student again

You know, languages are funny. Not everyone can learn them. I am finding this out very quickly as I am currently enrolled in a language course.

I should clarify something here. I am not talking about myself; rather I am talking about some of my classmates. Studies show that people have a hard time learning a second or third language after the age of about 12. Now, I know I am older than 12 but I am also faring a lot better than others in my class; it probably has something to do with knowing the language as a child and having it rolling around in my subconscious. It's week two and I can already tell you the two people who are going to keep this class from going at a fast pace. Not to be an agist, but it's the two women over 50. Don't get me wrong; I admire them for even attempting to learn a language so vastly different from their native tongue. But Christ, they can barely say hello without getting confused. And when writing a three letter word takes almost four minutes, well, it's an issue. Or at least it is for me.

My professor must have the patience of a saint because I don't and I am annoyed. Luckily for me, I got paired with a girl who just returned from a country where this language is the native tongue. She and I are getting along really well, especially since we started the mocking last night. Granted, it was quiet, only we can hear it mocking but it was fun.

Also, I forgot how tedious language homework can be. And how time consuming. I spent the better part of Saturday morning and Monday night doing homework. It's a good thing I have tivo for the upcoming news seasons. I won't be letting homework stop me from watching hours of mindless television.

Speaking of television, I saw the new Gilmore Girls promo last night. It looks promising. Luke seems shocked by the events of last season; though mostly because his head has been up his ass. Sigh. Anyway, here's to hoping it's a good season. Oh, and this Sunday night check out the final night of the WB. They are showing the pilot episodes of Buffy, Angel, Felicity, and Dawson's Creek. Guess how many of those are on my tivo to do list.

I'd rather be dead than red in the head

I finally sat down to watch the newest version of the story of Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I starring Helen Mirren as the aging queen in need of a husband and heir. I thought the film was excellently done. The costuming alone would make it wonderful but the acting was also superb. How could it not be with Ms. Mirren and Jeremy Irons? Also, Hugh Dancy is as cute as he was in Ella Enchanted. Hee.

I have sort of always had a fascination with Elizabeth. She intrigued me as a fellow red head. In college when I was able to really study her I found her to be even more compelling. Here is a woman who grew up without a mother and with a father who basically hated her. Her siblings weren't exactly what one would call close what with Mary trying to kill her and all. But this woman ruled England well. Better than either of her siblings for sure. Although, on Edwards behalf he never really had a chance thanks to being so damn sickly. Anyway, in this version of the story Elizabeth doesn't ever have sex; she is the virgin queen. Not sure I totally buy into that theory but I suppose the times were very different and Elizabeth pregnant with an illegitimate child wouldn't have been so kosher.


Anyway, if you have HBO you should totally check this two part movie out.

Because Mike said so

The Wikipedia meme:

Birthday: February 12

Events: (I had to do four events)

1554: A year after claiming the throne of England for nine days, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason.

1870: Women gain the right to vote in Utah Territory.

1951: Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiari marries the Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi at Golestan Palace in Teheran at the age of 17.

2004: Mattel announced the split of Barbie and Ken.

Births (besides Abe Lincoln):

1938: Judy Blume, American Author

1980: Christina Ricci, American Actress

Deaths:

1804 - Immanuel Kant, German philosopher (b. 1724)

I want to know what love is; I want YOU to show me.

This weekend I was lucky enough to have the plesure of going to see the rockin' duo of Foreigner and Styx. There is just about nothing better than a nice psuedo-Fall evening outside with a warming, over-priced Bud Lite in your hand; surrounded by dirt rockers and listening to Classic Rock. Seriously.

Although I went mostly for the mocking that I knew would happen (plus the free ticket), it was a great night. My pal Selena and I made fun of several dirt rockers. We were sickened by the couple on the blanket next to us, and were rocked by Foreigner. Styx left much to be desired as they did not play Mr. Roboto. Bastards. I was kind of shocked at how many Foreigner songs I knew as I couldn't name a single tune they sang before heading to the concert, mostly because the songs of theirs I knew I had attributed to other bands. What can I say? If you weren't Poison or Def Leppard I didn't pay too much attention to you. Unless you were Color Me Badd or Too Live Crew or Garth Brooks. Yes, I had ecclectic tastes even as a child.

One of the coolest parts of the evening was running into a pal I hadn't seen in years. I saw my old Political Science sparring buddy, Joe. That was good times. Who knew that Sytx and Foreigner could bring people together like that?

Gilmore Girls and memes

I think that the impossible has happened. I am Gilmored out. I am tired of those Gilmore Girls or at least the episodes in syndication on ABCFamily. I deleted my tivo season pass for the syndication episodes. I am done. I can't bear to watch the season six episodes that will begin on October 2. I am a little scard to begin season seven (which starts on Spet. 27). Damn you, Amy Sherman Palladino for filling me with such sadness and dread. I am hoping that Rina Minoun (from Everwood) will help breathe some new life into this season. And speaking of Everwood, it begins in syndication on ABCFamily on October 2. PLEASE WATCH this fabulous show. If you aren't hooked after three episodes then you can mock me unmercilessly for loving this show. Let the tears and laughter begin.

And now on to this meme from Ali P, Bill and Mike.

1. Elaborate on your default icon.

I don't understand this at all.

2. What’s your current relationship status?

That's a funny one. Single. I am perpetually single.

3. Ever have a near-death experience?

Two actually. Both of them involve car accidents. Does that shock anyone?

4. Name an obvious quality you have.

Gosh. I don't know. Shyness. Hee.

5. What’s the name of the song that’s stuck in your head right now?

I've Got a Theory ~ Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

6. Any celeb you would marry?

I would marry Michael Vartan if only for the sweet French nothings he would whisper in my ears.

7. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity?

Yeah once when I as drunk at a bar but I don't remember which celebrity I looked like.

8. Do you wear a watch? What kind?

Nope. I started to develop rashes on my wrist when I wore a watch.

9. Do you have anything pierced?

Several ear piercings and the nose.

10. Do you have any tattoos?

Yep. Three of them.

11. Do you like pain?

Sometimes. Mostly when it's related to the gym.

12. Do you like to shop?

Yes. A lot. Too bad I don't make more money.

13. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?

Haagen Das fat free mango sorbet.

14. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card?

Gasoline.

15. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?

Squater

16. What is on your desktop background?

A cast pictrue from Arrested Development.

17. What is the background on your cell phone?

An artsy pic I took of paint chips.

18. Do you like redheads?

Yes. Otherwise I would be self-loathing and that is no fun at all.

19. Do you know any twins?

Yep. My friends Kellie and Josh have twin daughters. They are cuties.

20. Do you have any weird relatives?

Seriously. Is this a real question? Most of my relatives are strange while I am oddly normal.

21. What was the last movie you watched?

Embarrassingly enough, it was Monster In-law.


22. What was the last book you read?

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Welcome Back, Kotter

After a long hiatus I return to you all. So, how's it going?

I have been very busy with painting and unpacking and spending money I don't have on furniture and other items to fill my apartment. I'd post pictures of my new pad if I had thought to take any. Maybe I will do that this week some time.

I am currently at my new, temporary desk at my shiny new job. It's a bit strange as the training here is a little lax compared to the training I had at my old place of business. Right now I am getting ready to go through the supply catalog to order up some goodies.

It's strange since so much has happened at and yet it feels like there isn't all that much to tell you.

I have been watching The Forsyte Saga from Netflix. It's good on a variety of levels. First there is the Captain Winters aka Damian Lewis level. I say that makes it good even if it was bad. But it's not bad. I think you are supposed to hate the Damian Lewis character but I really pity him. Anyway, I am hoping that disc two comes soon. Also, I have officially watched every episode of Arrested Development. And now I am even more sad that the show is not getting a fourth season. This show is not only hilarious in a laugh out loud and pee you pants way but also in a sly making fun of our political structure way. It's excellent. Go rent the dvds today.

Anyway, I am glad to be back. I hope you are happy to have me back.

Going away again

You know, this whole moving your whole life and leaving your job for a new job situation is a bit time consuming. Sorry I haven't been talking much but packing boxes isn't something I think any of you want to read about. So, I will be back soon with more tales of books and music and movies and such nonsense.

Before I go though, I am giving out big props to The O.C. for hiring Chris Pratt (better known as Bright from Everwood). You can read all about his new role here. All I can say is, SQUEE! Bright! and I am pretty sure I will be watching The O.C. come November. It's a good thing that I have such an authoritative source to tell me all about The O.C.

I'm back

After my long hiatus, I return to you fair readers. You will hopefully be happy to know that I have found a place to live. I will be living in the neighborhood known as The Hill. I found a great one bedroom with hardwood floors, stained glass windows, a dishwasher, off-street parking, washer/dryer hookups, and I get to paint it whatever colors I want. It's pretty fab.

The movers are coming to pack up my house on August 23 and I will be leaving Indiana on August 24. It's pretty exciting and nerve wrecking all at the same time.

So, who's coming to visit me?

I-tunes: what do you think of me

From Bill:

I've been meaning to do this meme for a while but just haven't gotten around to it. So, it's what I will leave you with until I can post something sometime in the future.

What do you think of me, iPod?
Boughetto ~ Ali
Dude, I think that says it all. I am bougie and ghetto. Holla!

Will I have a happy life?
Is this Love ~ Bob Marley and the Wailers
I hope this is not a sign that I will be on some eternal quest for love. Yikes.

What do my friends really think of me?
Spend Some Time ~ Eminem
Aww. My friends like to spend time with me. You guys are sweet.

Do people secretly lust after me?
Love Song for No One ~ John Mayer
I think that says it all. Nobody lusts after me.

How can I make myself happy?
No Memory ~ Stone Temple Pilots
So if I forget myself and my past, I will be happy? You are fickle, I-tunes.

What should I do with my life?
Kingdom Come ~ Coldplay
Sweet! I always wanted to rule the world. Muahahahahahahaha!

Why must life be so full of pain?
Asking Too Much ~ Ani DiFranco
Yes, we are too materialistic; aren't we? Even Mike agrees.

How can I maximize my pleasure during sex?
I Got A Woman ~ John Mayer Trio
I-tunes, am I gay?

Will I die happy?
The Bagman's Gambit ~ The Decemberists
Well, at least I know they will never catch me. Hee. Bill, you may be the only one who gets that.

Can you give me some advice?
Dance of the Seven Veils ~ Liz Phair
Okay, don't fall in love with dead men. I can do that.

What do you think happiness is?
Oragami ~ Ani DiFranco
I am an all powerful, Amazon warrior and not some sniveling girl. Also,saving men and then telling them to fucking figure it out themselves is happiness? Actually, you might be right, I-tunes.

What'’s my favorite fetish?
Last Night ~ The Strokes
Hmmm. Watching Buffy and Spike have hot sex really isn't too far off the mark.

Hectic

Life is getting to be a little crazy these days. There is so much packing to do and so many appointments to make.

I am heading west on Friday to find a place to live. If I find something, I will post pics. Assuming I have time for that and computer access. Posting here is going to be sporadic, if it happens at all, from now until August 14. I can't promise that August will be anything close to chatty.

Tonight I get to meet with a moving company. I hope they will give me a decent quote since they are my only option as of right now. My parents are looking at an apartment for me tonight. I can't thank them enough. Especially since this place is in the right neighborhood, cheap, has a washer/dryer hookup, off-street parking, and close enough for me to walk to work everyday. I keep thinking that it must be rat infested because otherwise, where's the catch?

While I am totally excited about all of the changes that are happening, I really hate chaos of this level. I don't like the not knowing. But hopefully that will all be over soon.

Memeville

From Bill:

1. Are you named after anyone? If so, explain?

I am not named after anyone. Sorry to disappoint.

2. Do you have your children's names picked out already? If so, is there any significance?

I have lots of names picked out for my future children. Mostly, they are names from the Middle East, keeping with the tradition of my name. But the middle names are of the more traditional variety since they are the names of people of I love.

3. If you were born a member of the opposite sex what would your name have been?

If I had been a boy, my name would have been Abraham. A good Muslim name and the name of one of my uncles. Funnily enough, Abe Lincoln and I share a birthday. So, in a way, my biologcal dad got his way.

4. If you could re-name yourself what name would you pick and why?
When I was a kid all I wanted was a normal name and blonde hair. But now, I couldn't really imagine being named Jenny or Sue or something "normal" like that. I will keep Jalehlabad; thank you very much.

5. Are there any mispronunciations/typos that people do w/ your name constantly?

Yes. A million. Too many to type here in this space. In fact, the only time I even listen to a telemarketer is if they pronouce my name right. That has happened twice and one of those times it was an obviously Middle Eastern voice on the line.

Signs

Dear Readers,

Do you believe in signs? Do you believe in fate? Or do you think that it all just happens the way it's supposed to and that signs and fate are crap?

I can honestly say I am on the fence about signs and fate. Do I think some things are destined to happen? Maybe. But I do think that sometimes the universe tells us things that reinforce decisions we make.

For example, this weekend I packed up my office. I put all my books in boxes. Wrapped picture frames with tissue paper. I cleaned out my desk drawers. This is when I noticed something remarkable. I don't know it any of you remember a post I wrote on my old site about a ring that I lost. Why would you? This ring meant nothing to you but it means a great deal to me. This ring was a gift from my deceased aunt who was like a second mother to me. When I lost the ring I cried for a day. I remember crying while writing that blog post. I was angry at myself for losing such an important item. But alas, the universe is on my side after all. I found my ring in the bottom of my desk drawer. It must have been there for almost two years. I was so happy when I found the ring. It was like the ring was waiting for me to move again. A sign that I am making the best choice for myself. It completely made my weekend.

I am wearing my ring now. I don't plan on taking it off anytime soon, excepting for washing dishes and taking showers.

So, how was your weekend?

Love,

Jalehlabad

The perplexing of Jalehlabad

Last night was a rousing Wednesday Night Social Club since I told everyone that I am moving back to the Lou. Everyone was so nice and wished me well and some of them even brought me bottles of alcohol. Sometimes it's very good to be liked and it also proves my point that you cannot have too many pals. I assured the crew that they would see me; it's not like the Lou is so far from Cutesville. Plus, someone is throwing me a big going away bash. I even had two offers last night; although I am starting to think I should throw the party myself.

I got home around midnight and this is where things go pear shaped (as they like to say in England). First, I made a little phone call to Squater. I am sure it will bring him joy when he finally hears my message. Then I sat down to watch Project Runway. I loved the dog idea. It cracked me up to see Tim with all the dogs. Anyway, I had several WTF moments and I don't think it had anything to do with the many beers I drank. First of all, WTF was up with judges loving Bradley's outfit? While I think it was nice since it was his birthday, his outfit was just not my taste. I thought it was kind of fug. But the biggest WTF moment was them not kicking off Angela for the second week in a row. That chick needs to go. She's a horrible designer. And what is up with her skirts? Just no. Stop. Step away from the fabric.

Heidi, Vera, Nina, and Ivanka, you have disappointed me. Now go to your room and think about that.

SexyBack

I am sure to get mocked for this but, to be honest, I don't care. Take a look at the Justin Timberlake video SexyBack. Thanks, YouTube!

Anyway, I loved JT's first solo disc and I will be sure to get his new one when it comes out. Something about that kid's music makes me want to dance.

Good Night And, Good Luck: Lived up to the hype

Often times I am the last person to see the latest hit film. It was, I think, the last person on earth to see Titanic. I still want those three hours of my life back. More recently, this was the case with Brokeback Mountain. I know I am supposed to be obsessed with that movie and, don't get me wrong, it was good. But it was basically a love story. A love story involving two hot gay men but a love story none-the-less.

Last night, I watched Good Night and Good Luck. Whatever your political leanings are; I think it's safe to say that this movie makes you think. I loved the usage of black and white film and the music, sung by Dianne Reeves, was fabulous.

I was a little scared to watch this movie. It had so much hype that I thought it wouldn't deliver. I was wrong. If you haven't seen this movie, do yourself a favor and go rent it tonight.

Irreverant t-shirts: I love 'em

I don't know how many of you read Preshrunk but I like to peruse that site every once in a while to find cool t-shirts. Preshrunk turned me on to Threadless.

I have sort of become addicted to Threadless. I am on their mailing list so I know when they have sales, etc. This is good and bad. It's good because Threadless t-shirts are really high quality and well made. Also, they have funny shirts and arty shirts. It's bad because I could easily drop half a pay check on t-shirts some months. Like this new shirt, for example. Or this old fave, The Communist Party, which always seems to be sold out of my size everytime I can afford it (I found the link! Woot!). With my new Pirate obsession, I have been debating whether or not to buy this shirt. Anyway, I love it when they have their $10 sales.

In many respects, I am not sure I should be telling you all about Threadless since I have been looking there more and more often for gifts for loved ones. It's where I found Squater's prezzie last Christmas.

At any rate, since Glarkware denied us Everwoodians a Now or Never shirt, I am a little sad and I need some other t-shirt to fill the hole that I was prepared to fill with an Everwood tee. So, which shirt should I get? One of the items listed or is there some other Threadless tee that screams Jalehlabad to you?

Mail Carrier Blues

For some reason my mail carrier never takes my outbound mail. I don't know why my mail can be dropped off but not taken away. I put proper postage on everything. I even have a little clip so that the mail box looks like it's open and yet nothing. Normally, this doesn't bother me. I have even adjusted so that I never mail out my bills from home. I just drop them off at the post office. However, now that I've joined netflix, this is becoming an increasing problem. I put the discs in my mailbox all proper like. And my mail carrier just ignores it. But, I will not be ignored. In fact, I have entered into a showdown with my mail carrier. I am just going to leave that disc in my mail box until he or she takes it. If that means I have to wait a week to start Scrubs season one, well, so be it.

Do you think I am taking this to extremes? Because I don't. Is it so much to expect my mail carrier to, I don't know, do their JOB? Isn't this what my tax dollars pay for? Because my tax money sure as hell doesn't fund any mass transit or salt for winter roads.

Maybe I just need a beer. Or to get out of this small town.

UPDATE: For some reason, who knows why, my netflix dvd got picked up yesterday. Thanks for the comments. I think I will go have a chat with someone down at the post office.

Chanda's Secrets

This week I read the book Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton. While this book is young adult literature (it won the Michael L. Printz Honor Book award), it deals with a very serious topic. The story revolves around Chanda, a sixteen year-old girl living in an unnamed Sub-Saharan African country. Chanda has a hard life. Her father and brothers die, then her sister dies, then AIDS hits her family and her community. Along the way Chanda learns to deal with the horrible realites of life while trying to make the best life possible for her family and friends. For Chanda this is often difficult since life has given her a huge sack of lemons and few ways to make lemonade. Ultimately, this story is about not being afraid.

It took me longer than it should have to finish this book mostly because it was so sad. Allan Stratton does an excellent job of describing the phobias many Africans had and have about HIV/AIDS. I would suggest that you go out and by this book, especially since proceeds from the sale go to help Africans suffering with HIV/AIDS.

Books Read in 2006:
Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
Princess in Training by Meg Cabot
Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot
Project Princess by Meg Cabot
Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot
Princess in Love by Meg Cabot
Sorceress by Celia Rees
Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte