NaNoWriMo is coming up in less than a week! Argh. I have competing story ideas in my head and am totally not sure what I want to focus on. I need to make a list of all the things I like to think about and pick just one or two (for instance, I am only allowed two of the following elements: time travel, spies, historical mysteries, Nick Hornby-esque music ramblings, ghosts, capers, 90s nostalgia). Actually, seeing that written out like that, I'm thinking that I could definitely write 50,000 words involving the badassery of all those things.

We had a really great weekend, suckiness of the HarvestFest in Salem aside (the company of friends was fabulous, it was just the crowds and the lack of enough proper food that was the problem). Salem is totally awesome right now, and not just because of the booths set up to give me delicious fried foods and hot apple cider. We are also in the home stretch of trying to get ready for an epic Halloween party. Or at least, it better be epic given the lengths I am going to on themed foods.

Finally, a brief tangent into tv: White Collar on USA is totally adorable. It does feel a bit like a show that's trying very hard for our approval, but that works ok for me. Funny, endearing, and caper-ific. I'm watching Skins from Netflix, and it is superb. British teenagers with loads of angst. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been striking out more than hitting these days, but I'm holding out hope they'll hit a mid-season stride.

There is a word I am trying to think of, and it's driving me crazy that I can't remember it. It's right on the tip of my tongue, and it's a word I use often enough that my inability to come up with it is giving me a serious case of the Mondays. If you can think of a word that starts with "p" and means something to the effect that information in a book (or website) can only be found there because it is information created by that publisher or author (think something like expensive Standard & Poors analyst reports and stuff like that)... I will give you a cookie.

In other news, we had a weekend, and it feels like it went by way too quickly. Friday night we went to Christopher's for a Metafilter meet-up. It was a huge group and the space was really cramped, but it was good people, good conversations, and lots of fun. Saturday we went up to Portland (The Lost Bear Bar, I think, which has a great beer selection) for a second meetup, which was also a ton of fun. I really like meeting new people. Yesterday turned out to be a gorgeous day to do some walking for incandes_flower's work with the arthritis foundation.

This week's goal: get srzs bizness about writing. I do not want to get to NaNo time and be exactly where I am right now. Theoretically, if I can get enough of current story done before then, I can try to open up a whole new project for NaNo. But I have to get this story out of my head first. Of course, distracting me from this goal is shiny new television that's starting up now. Though I think only Thursday nights are really affected by this, as I have a full 2 hour block of brain cell killing tv to watch on Thursdays. And really, only one hour of it will actively kill brain cells (Vampire Diaries, I am looking at you). Yes, I will be watching Joel McHale on Community.

Alright, I did not believe everyone who told us this before, but Leverage is totally awesome. Coming from loving what I've seen of the British show Hustle (which is the show Leverage is based on), I was expecting it to be kind of CSI-boring. But it is funny and exciting and charming. Yay, new show! Oh, Netflix streaming on demand, you rule my world.

I am now officially super into True Blood. It is good, cheesy fun. And so dirty! Tara and Lafayette are the best. I am still hoping that Sam will turn into a WereDog.

Also, I am really enjoying Merlin. Though someone should have warned me about the giant cgi spiders in episode four! Holy crap.

So I finally started watching True Blood (verrrrrry slowly, since I'm Netflixing it and only get 2 episodes on a disc. I really wish Netflix made everything available for stream-instantly).

My thoughts so far: Um, wow, Anna Paquin is seriously not a good actress. Unless maybe the books are so poorly written that she's actually doing an amazing character study or something? Hot mysterious vampire guy is hot and mysterious. It would be awesome to get some plot going (other than OMG-everyone-loves-Sookie and OMG-vampires-exist-here-is-a-pound-of-exposition). I am having major Twilight flashbacks, what with the mind reading and the potential for stalking... too bad there are no sparkles in this. The music in the show is terrible. Like, are they making it that bad on purpose? Not to mention the opening credits; I'm used to much more effort from HBO in its opening credits, these are so bad I thought I was watching Showtime. Nitpicking aside, I am enjoying it and will keep watching. It just makes me long for the days of HBO of yore, when we had Rome and The Wire and Oz.... there is a reason why we no longer bother to pay for HBO with our cable.

Also, this report from a teenager in England really disturbs me, if for no other reason than the line on page 3 that states most teenagers today have never bought a cd. Never?! *shakes fist at kids these days*

That just kind of blows my mind. And here I was listening to NPR this morning (via podcast) interviewing Mac and Laura from Merge on the 20th anniversary of Merge records, getting all nostalgic for the days when I would order vinyl albums straight from record labels. And when I got the latest news on music from listervs. I got my illicit copy of Belle & Sebastian's "Tigermilk" from someone on the indie-pop listserv way back in the day after If You're Feeling Sinister came out...

Went to see Glasvegas last night, and they were totally rockin'. I love a good show. And it was fairly prompt! I love getting out of a show at a reasonable hour on a work night. The drummer didn't have a kick drum and stood the entire time.

So thanks to Netflix we've been discovering comedy that we otherwise might not check out. Our latest discovery is The Whitest Kids U'Know. It is killing me with hilarity. I think about this sketch randomly through the day and get the giggles, though I caution that even though the naughty words in it are bleeped for tv, I don't think it's all that safe for work, depending on your work situation:

My race results:

Net time: 31:56
Pace: 10:17

Sweet!

Also, I have a Netflix recommendation: Peep Show might just be the most hilarious show I've seen since Black Books. Watch it!

So a long weekend devoted almost entirely to being sniffly on the couch was good incentive to finally watch Season 1 of Mad Men. ( thoughts with spoilers yonder )

OMG. OMG. TAPS will be filming for Ghost Hunters in Davis tonight!


I so totally want to meet the TAPS guys.

Ahhhh! Supernatural scared the ever living crap out of me tonight.

Also, this whole "buying a house" thing has barely started, and I am already stressed. I do not understand why this process has to involve so many people, all of whom want money. And lots of it.

We've been watching a lot of Netflix streaming on demand stuff lately, which I am totally loving. Having it come through the xbox to the tv is fantastic. So for those of you who do Netflix, I have some suggestions for you!

First: Jesus Camp. OMG. I just can not understand fundamentalism/evangelicalism at all. Seriously, the stuff in this movie is nigh on child abuse. I've been reading a book with sort of a similar bent, and I'm interested in learning more about the history of this movement, but honestly, it is so crazy cakes to me, I can't get my head around it. First, the frequent use of Jesus' name weirds me out. Second, the emphasis on "being saved" and not on "being a good person" or good works is so incompatible with my 18 years of Catholic schooling, it just does not make sense to me. I mean, I don't ascribe to any religion, but I have some kind of personal belief structure that assumes that trying to be a good person is more important than what you say you believe. Even Catholic school religion classes taught that just because someone didn't believe in Jesus they could still get into heaven (or whatever they believe in instead of heaven...). Fundamentalism just seems so mean and unloving, and I'm not sure what the point of religion is if it doesn't make you happy. Also, if you believe that much in god, wouldn't you think that he/she/it has enough to deal with, that maybe asking god to bless your photocopier and powerpoint slides and all the chairs in a room is really friggin' annoying? Maybe you should save your blessings for things that actually matter? Anyway, it's an interesting documentary, but I spent most of it yelling at the tv.

Second: Michael Palin's (from Monty Python) travel documentaries. Around the World in 80 Days and Pole to Pole. They were filmed in 1989 and 1991, so not only are they interesting in a travel sense, but also interesting in a recent history sense. The 1991 one especially, he goes to the USSR right before it crumbled, and he's in South Africa a few months after apartheid ended. It's all very interesting.

Third: British comedy! The Vicar of Dibley is surprisingly really funny. Not Black Books level of hilarity, because few things could be as funny as Bernard Black, but still, good comedy. Also, Waiting for God is funnier than I'd expected a comedy about an old folks home to be. Finally, Little Britain is funny enough, though it's very hit-or-miss and some of it is not funny at all. But the funny stuff is really funny.

Note to self: when skin meets jagged edge of tin can top with enough force, you will lose a frightful amount of blood and need stitches. My evening got started last night with a trip to the emergency room! I think I've officially moved past "clumsy" into "hazardous to my own health."

Also: Season 1 of The State is on iTunes! Now they just need to get season 3 up some time so I can see L'il Brown Dog Food.

We're seeing Stella tonight, and I am excited for some comedy.

Alright, I am at 5,460 words for NaNoWriMo. Which is exactly where I'd aimed to be by the end of today, so I am pleased and proud. Yesterday it was easy, today it was a struggle. I spent most of today holed up in our back room at my little makeshift desk eeking out little bits, checking my word count, wondering how it took so long to just come up with a couple hundred words, repeating that process, wishing I didn't suck so hard. But I have decided that this is something that I really want to do, and when I really want something I usually find a way to make it happen. Being honest with myself about what I really want... that is sometimes a different story. Anyway. Sorry, I promise I won't be posting about the writing project that much this month, I'm sure it's not super interesting for everyone.

I'm reading a chick lit book right now, which I thought I'd never do because I do judge books by their covers, but I am surprised to report that I am completely loving it. It's written by a friend of a friend, or a cousin of a friend, I can't recall which, but it's set in Boston and it's about a librarian, and it involves romantic shenanigans. I am now going to reward my tired brain with last week's episode of Gossip Girl, finally, and then will try to not stay up too late to finish said chick lit book. Oh, and this weekend was awesome and tons of fun. I hope I won't have to become a total hermit for the rest of the month to get writing done.

Well I spent most of my weekend consuming media in various ways. And driving to and from New Hampshire- I love driving, especially when no one else is in the car so I can turn my iPod up and caterwaul away to my "emo rock" playlist. Oh, Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance! *ahem*

Anyway, so I spent a good portion of the weekend reading the Twilight series, which I swear must be laced with crack because ohmygod it is so entertaining. I am on the last book in the series, and am kind of sad knowing there won't be more.

Also, finally saw Mamma Mia, which is a total cheese fest, but involved Colin Firth singing and dancing. We spent a good chunk of yesterday watching this British comedy show Black Books- so, so hilarious. I think I hurt myself laughing at some points. And Step Up 2 The Streets is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds like it would be.

Finally, I call shenanigans on the weather. What is up with the rain this summer? It is dreary and needs to cut it out. I'm also desperately in need of more time off, and am really looking forward to the fall when we at least get a few more long weekends. These long weeks are getting to me.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is hilarious. Seriously, folks, if you do Netflix you must watch this show.

This weekend went by too fast but involved hanging with the marvelous doplar, hiking in Northfield, dinner at People's Pint, watching tv with Miss tenillypo, and discovering that the Arsenal Mall has an Ann Taylor factory store, and subsequently purchasing some work clothes. I feel very old for enjoying Ann Taylor, but I'm hoping that the expensive clothes hold up better over time than my usual H&M stuff.

Things that scared the crap out of me as a kid:

I have two awesome tidbits from Metafilter to share.

First: An Arrested Development movie is in the works! Seriously!

Also, my inability to google up good results led me to inquire as to the presence of good bar patios in Boston. I can't believe June is almost over, we need to get on the stick about some summertime drinking outside! And I'm not talking crappy tables on the sidewalk.

Watching Barbara Ehrenreich on The Colbert Report earlier this week led to finding her blog, which is kind of interesting. While I agree with her sentiments that the disparity between the filthy, filthy rich and the rest of the country is awful, I have no idea what the average person is supposed to do about it. If the super rich have all the money and power, then we have to wait for them to say "oh, you're right, we really should do something about this," which is never going to happen. I should probably read the book she was schilling to see what she says about that.

I haven't been watching much tv lately (well, we usually have the Discovery channel on in the background, but I've been reading through much of it), but last night we saw a new show that is actually kind of amazingly awesome. It's... on ABC Family. I know! But it's really funny and weird and I love it. It's The MiddleMan. And I think, based on an older entry of da_zhuang's, that the show's creator is on LJ, which is kind of neat: chaodai. So if you're looking for some summer tv, I highly recommend this show. Which reminds me that I've still never seen that Bruce Campbell show and should probably check it out sometime...

Also, there is a new cartoon that I am in love with. It's on the Cartoon Network on Thursdays after Chowder (which is in itself an awesome cartoon), and it's called The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. It's about a kid and his pirate friend who sleep inside a whale and go on adventures and sometimes the pirate gets tore up on candy. I can't do it justice, but it is hilarious.

So I come home from kung-fu and flip around the stations to find something to watch while I chow down on some food. And... there's a show on public access tv called Fruit or Breast: The Game Show. It's hosted by a dude wearing a bra stuffed with oranges and a chick who stands in the back knitting. Between this and the show hosted by "Jenny" and her rabbit Bananas, I am becoming convinced that I need to bust into the public access television market. Seriously.

Also, according to Drew there have been lots of ufo sightings in Avebury recently. We'll be staying there next week. Between the haunted inn and the ufos, it's almost too much excitement for one girl to stand!

First- I ate fish this weekend! Raw fish! It was... not bad and not good. It was 100% neutral. But I'm willing to try it again.

Second- this show on CartoonNetwork called Chowder is the weirdest, most entertaining thing ever.

Third- thanks to cayetana for recommending this week's This American Life. Jerry Springer's life story turns out to be absolutely fascinating. Harvard Law? Really? I would totally vote for Jerry Springer if given the chance.

Off to kung-fu! We've been plunging ahead really fast with some forms, it's been awesome lately.

What? How is it possible that Kickass Cupcakes is expanding? I do not support this supporting of crappy cupcakes. Speaking of cupcakes- a few weekends ago I tried cupcakes from Patsy's Pastries in Somerville, and I am somewhat happy to report that they were not that good. Lyndell's still wins, which makes me happy because I walk to Lyndell's from home, and I kind of fear finding the Perfect Cupcake someplace outside of reasonable walking distance. I guess if this is one of my concerns in life I'm doing pretty well.

I'm getting weirdly excited by the prospect of shopping at local farmer's markets this summer. I also think that once it gets nice, we may be able to obtain hay within a 30 minute drive for much less than the $50-60 a month we currently pay to get it shipped in from the midwest. But then again, it may not be early cut western Timothy hay, and I can't be serving lame hay to my bunnies. They have discerning tastes.

How much did The Office rock last night? Answer: So much! I want to host a dinner party. But a remarkably less awkward one.

Oh my god. After two straight hours of The Wire we needed some comedic relief. South Park came on, and I said to Drew, "It would be so perfect if this could be the Loch Ness Monster episode, but they never show it." And lo! It was. Yesterday they showed the Chewbacca Defense episode. My two favorites in two days! And I really do not watch South Park at all these days.

In honor of that, I give you some ( YouTubage, South Park & GI Joe, may not be safe for work )

What's that you say? You want Metafilter meta-wankery about meta-wankery in fandom (with a big article that talks a lot about Supernatural, I only skimmed the article but believe it contains no spoilers, it's about a con). Well, then, here you go.

Along the lines of feminist ranting, I was reminded while re-tagging old entries earlier today of the time back in L-town that I tried to start a chapter of Riot Grrrl. I put up posters around town! I think it was in connection with my awesome thesis about punk girls and... psychology. The only person who ever called me wanting to join was a skinhead named Howard who had just gotten out of jail. Hee. Oh, memories.

Is it wrong that I really wish I had $750 laying around so I could go to PaleyFest to see a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion? NERD!

Also, for Wire fans: What Do Real Thugs Think of the Wire Part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4

Tenillypo found those, so credit to her. Spoilers for Season 5 of The Wire (for episodes that have already aired, not future spoilers).

I voted this morning, being a good civic-duty-er. Edwards was my horse in this race, and I'm disappointed he's out of the picture, though I hope for VP-dom for him. After waffling with strong amounts of indecision on my two remaining candidates, I took one last look at the "issues" on Clinton and Obama's web sites and went to fill in the blanks on a ballot. I went with Obama, because while I'm not convinced that he could govern right off the bat the way Hillary could, I do believe he will honestly try and that he'll put a really good-faith effort into sticking with the view/ideas he has expressed. A lot of my support for Hillary really stemmed from my reaction to her nay-sayers and critics, because I truly think a lot of the flak she's gotten has been misogynistic, and that really bothers me. But she's espoused views that are too centrist/conservative for my taste. I actually don't think she truly believes some of the middle of the road things she says she does, but all I have to go on is what she says and how she's acted in the Senate, and that doesn't warm the cockles of my commie lefty little heart. So that's that. Secret ballot my ass, I have a blog! My voting record, let me show you!

Being all posty about shows, hows about a list of upcoming shows I'd like to go to, if anyone wants to keep me company?

April 3: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks (Paradise)
April 20: Neil Hamburger You know you want more Neil Hamburger! (Middle East upstairs)
May 9: Clinic (Paradise)

And of course, there's Rush in February July.

I'm reading Bill Bryson's "The Mother Tongue" right now; it's about the history of the English language. Really interesting, and chock full of neat factoids, but I'm put off by the organizational style of the book. In that, it doesn't feel like it has much organization. So I'm balancing it out with a light read about a Victorian lady solving murders with the help of a sexy mysterious stranger.

Also, Supernatural last night kicked some eff'n ass! What a great show. It brings me much joy.

Why yes, watching 8 hours of the BBC's A History of Britain is indeed a marvelous way to spend a Sunday.

Also, Rock Band is the greatest video game ever.

Yesterday I was getting all fandom wanky and was working on a large Supernatural meta post, but I'm... not comfortable posting it. It also needs more thought and polishing up than I have time to do. But it did get me to thinking on a larger scale, and I think I'm going to delve into a more researchy project involving the show and gender theory. Hi. I am a librarian, and I want to write research papers for fun. The Boston Public Library has a surprising amount of databases available online, all you need is a library card number and you can research away. I want to jump right in, and I have some ideas rattling around in my head, but I feel like I need to re-ground myself in some theory and methodology before I start re-watching episodes with a pad of paper in hand.

Also, thanks to The Venture Brothers I can't read Henry Kissinger's name without thinking "I am Dr. Henry Killinger and this is my magic murder bag."

Mates of State last night was just fantastic. I'm so glad my Craigslist ticket purchasing went through! The MFA is a great venue, I'm really excited to see more shows there. First, seating is a good thing. Second, despite the ridiculous number of silly looking hipsters (just say no to faux-hawks!) and the "dude I'm so drunk" guys behind us, the crowd was actually really good. Third, those are some nice acoustics, and the sound was done properly. I am kind of a stickler for proper sound mixing at shows, and it's so rarely done well, it was a big treat to be able to hear the vocals and each instrument as they were meant to be heard. The show was pretty short, but it was nice to get out of a show before 10:00, because I am old and I like to sleep before working in the morning. So, yay!

Also, some of you may giggle at this tidbit: the Mates of State husband/wife duo met in Lawrence, Kansas. Hee! I am a nerd. Speaking of Lawrence, Kansas- who watched last night's Supernatural? I want to discuss!

Strangely, I have been enjoying watching the baseball games lately. Go Sox!

You know what feels kind of silly? Making more than one phone call to inquire about stores' stocks of fresh turkeys. I want fresh, not frozen! Un-brined so I can brine it myself! Wait- as I wrote this, I succeeded in finding one! Sweet. Poultry is good.

I am way more excited than I should be, as a sane person, for the season premiere of Supernatural tonight. Also- Gossip Girl mildly caught my interest last night, enough for me to keep it on probation for one more week, but it's still not nearly as charming as I'd hoped it would be. Dirty Sexy Money last night was not as entertaining as the pilot, but it was still much more awesome than I had anticipated this series would be. Also very excited for 30 Rock and the Office tonight! I watch too much tv!

In non-tv news, kung-fu continues to rock, as last night I attempted spinning reverse fan kicks.

Last night I caught the season premiere of How I Met Your Mother. The only thing I really have to say about it now is please, please, please can laugh tracks go away? I will laugh when something is funny, I don't need canned laughter to help me out! It seems so out of place and disconcerting, especially now that I'm usually watching laugh-track-free shows like The Office, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, and cartoons. Anyway, it's a cute show, I'll give it a chance.

Switching gears to consumption of other mass media- The Onion AV Club posted an interesting music list last week (via Metafilter when I finally got around to reading the thread). I have to agree with much of the list, though I'd argue that Helium's Magic City should be replaced with Built To Spill's Perfect From Now On. I do think that one could argue the same "199_ is the new 19__" with almost any year (other than 1999, that was a crap year for music. Can I tell you how glad I am that numetal and rap-rock are mostly dead?). I mean, 1994 had: Beastie Boys' "Ill Communication," Beck's "Mellow Gold," Bikini Kill's "Pussy Whipped," Jeff Buckley's "Grace," Built to Spill's "There's Nothing Wrong With Love," Green Day's "Dookie," (shut up I love that album) Hole's "Live Through This," NIN's "The Downward Spiral," Nirvana's "Unplugged," Pavement's "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain," Pearl Jam's "Vitalogy," Portishead's "Dummy," Sebadoh's "Bakesale," Smashing Pumpkins' "Pices Iscariot," Soul Coughing's "Ruby Vroom," Superchunk's "Foolish," Stone Temple Pilot's "Purple." Oh god, is that what's going to be playing on "classic rock" radio stations when we're 40?

I do contend that Ok Computer is one of the top 10 best rock albums of all time. Or at least, of my lifetime.

So we're watching Friday Night Lights, and I turn to Drew and say "If I played football, I'd want to be the one who runs into dudes and tackles them! Drew says "You want to be a linebacker?!" Yup. My name is Jennie. I am 4'11.5". And I want to be a linebacker.

Seriously, you guys, Friday Night Lights is so good. *love*

Also, as a cupcake reference, to make sure we were being fair to Kickass Cupcakes, we sampled the chocolate cupcakes from The Spotted Apron in Boston. $2.85 per cupcake, but sized somewhere between Lyndell's cupcake size and a Dunkin Donut muffin. So, not huge, but more than three bites. Verdict: Pretty darn good. The cake was really dense, but it was also very moist and richly chocolately (the kind that makes you go for a glass of milk, if you are a milk-drinker). The frosting didn't knock my socks off, with a cake that dense I would have preferred a very whipped & airy frosting instead of an equally dense frosting, but it was a light layer on top. Very heavy mouthfeel, but you know, for a cupcake that's almost 3 bucks, I want to feel like I'm eating something. In my mind, that was a cupcake worthy of its price tag. Still prefer Lyndell's overall, but I feel like I've judged the new cupcakery fairly and against a more worthy competitor, since the K.C. propriertor keeps posting online about how Lyndell's uses poor ingredients and "you get what you pay for."

I am starting to fall under the spell of Midsomer Murders. That, and having seen Hot Fuzz (finally! hilarious!) this past weekend really increase my desire to retire into a small village in the English countryside.

So my project of rewatching all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer from beginning to end is moving along swimmingly, and I'm considering starting a new blog to... blog it (for lack of a better word. blog blog blog). I find myself wanting to talk about these old episodes, but at this point it's kind of like saying "HAI GUYS I just saw The Sixth Sense and I really want to talk about kthanxbye." As with everything I do, I'll probably start it, get distracted by something else that's shiny, and abandon it.

Yesterday I skipped kung-fu in favor of sitting on the porch with shandies reading comic books. I think it was a wise tradeoff. I inducted myself into comic book nerdom by purchasing not just Supernatural: Origins, but also two issues of the Buffy season 8 comic. Though they were out of stock on issue #2, so my pre-class mission tonight is to obtain #2. I also read one of Drew's comics called "The Last Man" or something like that, and it was pretty good. Shocking. I made some jerk chicken, coleslaw, and cornbread for dinner, and we watched Venture Brothers until I fell asleep. That was a fine evening.

Oh, the O.C. I laughed, I cried, I consumed far too much television. I'll miss that show. Julie Cooper was, hands down, one of the best tv characters ever.

So I've been mopey and emo all freakin' week, and it's driving me insane. God, I haven't been this mopey in years, and the fact that I can't seem to pull myself up from it completely is frustrating. What the hell, brain? February truly is the cruelest month, I think it's lack of enough sunlight and enough relaxation. I have this powerful urge to take a road trip across the country and end in the most awesome tiki bar ever in San Francisco. I think I get the cross-country road trip urge every year around this time. On the plus side, I just calculated how much vacation time I should have this year, and it comes out to about 3 weeks.

Anything going on tonight entertainment-wise?

Oh. My. God. My love of Veronica Mars was just completely restored.

( spoilers )

This weekend I... learned more mad numchucks skills... watched 9 hours of Supernatural with tenillypo... and got a wee bit Dunky McDrunk Drunk on what was not a lot of beer.

So, ok, I don't know why I even bother to balk and resist the fine television programming that Ms. tenillypo recommends to me, as it always turns out to be totally awesome (though I swear I am not going to turn on to Stargate Atlantis, I just can't go there). Supernatural is such a rockingly great show! Why did I resist for long?!

Ack! I just spilled a bunch of White-Out on my black pants. Googling presents a cure of spraying said pants with WD40. I question that, but apparently a damp paper towel only makes the situation worse.

So this weekend involved admitting to myself that I often have truly terrible taste. For instance, I think I might enjoy My Chemical Romance as much as I enjoy Dashboard Confessional. Not as much as I love Blink-182. I may actually be a 12 year old boy.

In other questionable taste news, I discovered that I could really like Supernatural. Or at least the fanfic written by Supernatural fans. I also enjoyed an episode of Battlestar Galactica, so I'm not writing off the show entirely just yet. It's really Baltar (sp?) that makes that show.

Also, Achewood is utterly hilarious.

I have a date set for my level one kung-fu test! It was almost going to be next Friday, but I still need some time to actually get my self-defense moves down somewhat better. So it'll be mid-January. Yay! Progress! I can't believe I haven't quit this activity yet!

Christmas comes a little early in our household, and the bunnies have already given us their gifts. Hee. We are such crazy pet people. Anyway, the bunners have excellent taste in gift-giving, and I now have a pair of awesome nunchucks, Journey's greatest hits, and an OC mix cd. Life is good.

I've been really enjoying the history channel lately. They had a neat program about the Little Ice Age recently that was fascinating. And tonight they had something about tea.

Now I need to try to wind down off the exercise endorphins... there's West Wing calling to me.

Sometimes it's a small world. Went out to grab some lunch and ran into someone who was friends with my ex-boyfriend back in the day, who I tend to run into once every couple of years it seems. Had a nice little chit chat.

Other libraries being closed for Vetrans' Day today is annoying. I need ILL materials!


And... that's all I've got. The O.C. endlessly entertained me last night. The Office did not, but I understand that they just needed to get the plot moving along. Maine this weekend!!!! So excited.

I pushed myself so hard at kung-fu on Wednesday, and was so proud of myself for meeting the challenge. However, I think I pulled/strained something in the old back, because it's unbearably painful. And now I smell like old lady because I've slathered muscle rub on myself.

Can the day be over now?

I've been super bad about replying to comments lately, sorry 'bout that. I turned off comment emails when I went to Ireland and never turned them back on. I'll try to fix that today.

This weekend there will be merriment and the Borat movie, which excites me to no end.

And now... ( tv thoughts- OC spoilers )

I am addicted to Anonymous Lawyer. Though I'm reading from the beginning, once he got a book published earlier this year it seems like he's writing more for an audience.

Also, note to the writers of Veronica Mars: libraries are not boring! *hrumph*

The Office this season is kicking ass, but I need some Pam/Jim interaction sometime soon! They are killing me. Ed Helms' character almost completely makes up for it, though, because he is hilarious.

Finally, folks in the Boston area who wear glasses- any recommendations for places to find cheap (I'm talking $150 or less) but cute frames? I struck out at Costco, but want to find frames elsewhere and have Costco make the lenses, as they are cheap. Finding new glasses sucks, glasses that look awesome on others look freakishly weird on my face. I still have too much of an eye phobia to think about contacts, though.

Ok, I totally meant to post this earlier this week, but have been busy. For my Veronica Mars fans who don't read vokrent's journal: Veronica Mars premiere is available to watch online! Legally and without hassle!

And can I just say... So Good!! *squee*

Inspired by the loverly Ms. tenillypo, who was in turn inspired by the Joss Whedon blog, I have compiled a list of my top 25 tv characters.

To be fair, I'd have to say this is more of a "my favorites" than "best ever" list, as there are plenty of excellent characters from shows I haven't watched much of, and therefore wouldn't add to my list (Al Swearingon, I'm looking at you). I've included animated characters because I think they totally count as tv characters.

Can you tell that everyone is on vacation at work this week and it's slooooow?

( Listy List )

So yesterday, recovering from a weekend full of barbequeing and socializing, we rented Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room. It was a really good documentary, I highly recommend it.

Now I'm on a smart-movie kick and want to see Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" sometime soon. Oh, and of course, am also dying to see Snake on a Plane!. Best.Movie.Evar.

What was not the best movie ever was X-Men 3 or whatever it was called. Lame.

Oh, I finally watched the OC season finale. While I am very happy about the way it ended, this was an almost painfully bad episode to watch. Even Volchok was annoying. Next season just has to be better!

Good morning lovely people of the LiveJournal!

I seek recommendations from you! Your favorite places to eat and drink in Manhattan and Brooklyn, pretty please.

Because we are creatures of habit, and without some ideas in mind we're likely to end up at the Heartland Brewery and the place with flaming chili again. Oh, and Waikiki Wallys, because this time I'm not coming home until I have gotten my tiki on.


So glad this'll be a short week. I love my job, but I'm past due for a vacation. Off to bang out a bunch of market intelligence research, catalog the twenty books that have been waiting on my shelf for over a week, and pay the libes bills. Woot.

Oh, and The Office season finale? AWESOME.

Who has two thumbs and Mad Numchucks Skills?

This Girl!

So it's more like flailing numchucks around sort of correctly, but still, I got to play with weapons tonight in kung-fu. And that is sweet. I think I need komos to show me where I can buy some practice numchucks so I can hone said mad skills at home.

Today was a very good holiday for me. I made some fantastic challah bread, did some yoga, had a bunny-guinea pig date with Beef Wellington and tenillypo's Min, and watched a bunch of West Wing. Now I'm off to read a bit. Good times!

We are going to get another bunny sometime, and it will be named "Peanut Butter Cups." And it will love me. Look at this little cutie: cuteness. I think we're teetering on the edge of Crazy Pet People-dom.

Thank You For Smoking is an excellent movie, and I highly recommend it to all of you. Of course, Tivo was still set up to tape Law & Order last night, so I'll have to wait until Sat. for my Veronica Mars fix. Curses!

And, um.... I've discovered West Wing fanfic. *headsmack* I have a problem. Send help. Now I need to watch all the earlier seasons that I've missed.

I've finally purchased my own copy of Jordan's Eye of the World. Am convinced that those books come laced with crack. I'll probably be purchasing the next five books of the series in due time, because I need more cowbell super nerdy fantasy fiction. Seriously, I've already read these books, and I have a couple of new ones that look frightfully good (also bought Saramago's Blindness this weekend), but I can't put this down. Send help.

St. Patrick's Day party totally rocked. You folks are all the best! The rest of the weekend involved recovery, purchasing a big ass tv, reading, and watching last week's OC (so awesome! I now have a Volchok problem- seriously, we had to sit through all that Johnny crap when they had a totally awesome bad boy waiting for a plot line?)

It's days like this that make New England worthwhile. You slog through the suckiness of February, and then March comes and hands you one nice day, all sunny and 60 degrees. I like it.

And now, ( thoughts on last night's OC )

Just finished watching the last season of Oz. I cried like a baby for most of the past 2 hours. *sigh* But it was so good, and so worth it.

The rest of the weekend has been interesting, more tomorrow or Monday.