You thought my posting every day for a month meant some sort of revival eh? I think it tired me out more. The whole idea of trying to think of a fancy way to wrap the mundanity of every day life was daunting for my OCD perfectionism. And that is the sole reason I am not a best selling writer. (That and I don’t write good either! LOL)
There’s a lot of things going on in my life, both externally and internally and I’ve wanted to write about them. So much I feel like I’m going to explode. But in a bad way. I just need to hold it a bit and figure out the best way to express it. For now, I’ll settle for a very simple post.
First, a very Happy Birthday to my Dad! He is unfortunately spending it traveling on business, but I can send my well wishes just the same! Love ya!
Secondly, the long overdue March Monthly Love post that has been brewing in my brain since March 24th. March was good month for things and I feel like sharing them.
To start, HBO’s East Bound and Down. I cannot say enough about how awesome this show is. It pushes the absurdity just to the point of being funny and Danny McBride is superb as Kenny Powers, a washed up Major League baseball pitcher who returns to his small hometown to live with his brother and substitute teach gym at his old high school. Oh, there are so many comical, laugh-out-loud, quotable moments in the first season (six episodes) that I am anxiously awaiting the second one.
I’ve been told no human could be as good as me, been asked if I made a deal with the devil…Fuck no, the devil couldn’t afford my shit. ~ Kenny Powers, via his Twitter
Then there’s I Love You, Man which we were so excited to see that we actually went opening night and we weren’t disappointed. The movie was funny and awkward at the same time. The story and underlying lessons were handled very well and all of the characters were amazingly developed. I was throughly entranced with how this movie handled the awkwardness and difficulty of making friends as an adult, once your beyond the safety net of college and high school. I loved Jamie Pressly’s character in it as well and Paul Rudd is just mmm, mmm, good! Seriously, I would have his babies! (So, we’ll add Paul Rudd as an honorary things loved in March!)
Pssst! That Kristy is a totally cool girl! You should leave your Hollywood life and go let her have your bahbez!
And finally, in the entertainment category at least, there’s The Celebrity Apprentice. Okay, yes, I know, it’s trashy reality TV but I can’t help it! I actually have enjoyed most of The Apprentice’s because I do like the concept and the challenges, albeit no where as in depth as they would actually be in the business world, are much more informative and actually have a point, unlike the challenges on some other shows (MTV, I’m looking at you!). Regardless, when I saw the lineup for the season, I was salivating and I was not disappointed! Because they have basically taken some of the biggest nutjobs with ridiculous egos not justified for their level of fame and forced them all to work together in situations where at some point, some of the Chiefs (i.e. everyone!) have to learn to be Indians. The women are kicking ass as always but that mostly because 3/4 of the women’s team are people that most of us haven’t heard of so they aren’t used to super-fame whereas 3/4 of the men’s team is made up of people that most of us have at least heard of and none of them have been subserviant to anyone in years! But yes, the men are the most entertaining! Tom Green, Andrew Dice Clay, Dennis Rodman = batshit crazy! Clint Black = hate you so very much! Brian McKnight = nice guy but strikes me as the guy who thinks his shit doesn’t stink and would probably sing everything to you if you’d let him. The only people I really love on here are Jesse James, Herschel Walker and Joan River, mostly because Jesse and Herschel are real people and Joan Rivers is just hysterical!
Even the sixteen douches surrounding him can’t cancel out the Donald’s ginormouse douchiness!
(You’re excluded Jesse, Herschel and Joan!)
Onto another Bath and Body Works product, this time one that does more than just smell good. I picked up their Instant Aromatherapy Headache Relief on whim last time I was in the store because I needed $10 worth of stuff to use my coupon. I never actually thought it would work, particularly because I’m a migraine sufferer and it used to take two Excedrin Migraines and some sinus medicine to get rid of them. But I started using this stuff and was pleasantly surprised how well it works! It basically peppermint oil that you roll onto places where there’s pain and tension (temples, above the eyes, back of the neck). The oil feels cool and the smell is a very strong peppermint, which is supposed to help reduce stress and ease tension. This doesn’t work when you’re in the throes of a major headache attack but about a half an hour after I rubbed it on the beginning pressures of a new headache, the pain had subsided and I was left feeling refreshed and back to normal.
Hey, you know what’s not good though? Especially if you have oil prone skin? Rubbing this over your forehead and cheeks liberally, more than once a day. My skin hates me!
On a random food note, I’d like to send a big ups to an oldie but a goodie, Pigs in A Blanket. I’d never had a chance to eat these regularly because they really are hors d’oeuvres but I had them at a Christmas party last year and in March decided to try them at home. I picked up a roll of refrigerated crescent dough and a package of Carolina Pride Smokies and rolled them up and cooked based on the crescent roll instructions and they were delicious. They were actually our go to snack this month and we might have even eaten them for dinner once or twice. Add cheese or buy the Hillshire Farms cheddar smokies if you want a little kick!
Kristy, Steve and Sammy say NOM, NOM, NOM!
And finally, the highlight of March was at the end when my girlfriends, we’ll call them C & C, came to visit for Girls Weekend 2009. This weekend had dual enjoyment. I got to spend girl time with two of my favorite people, eating Oreos, reading books, chatting until 3:30am and singing Journey in the backseat of the car as loud as we can. I also got to be a tourist in my own town because I made a point to take them places I had never been before. We tried new restaurants together and explored plantation gardens that were beautifully in bloom and saw beautiful pieces of art and ate delicious seafood and Italian food and sandwiches. All in all, we had a great weekend and the only thing I was sad about is that they had to leave to go back to living 10 hours away. I miss you girls!
The C’s say cheese from Middleton Place and here’s to fun filled and adventurous April!
I was all ready to write my TV post but got about six paragraphs in and decided I just didn’t have the gumption to do it tonight. I was, essentially, just rambling.
Not that that’s any different from another day.
Today was uneventful for a Monday. Did some actual work at work. Tweaked a few things on the site. I finally upgraded to WordPress 2.7 which I had been avoiding for awhile because I was scared some of my plugins didn’t work. Some didn’t, but they were unimportant or ones I had phased out. And now I have the sleek fancy new interface and everything works so much nice than it used to.
Plus, I added a lot of fun new things. Gravatars are enabled. There’s a little reply to arrow in the comments which allows you to reply to commenters much in the same way you do at Twitter. There’s a lot of new functionality that I added on the back end that I still need to tweak but am excited about because I feel like it’s going to give me the security I need to be able to open the blog back up freely again.
I really should have switched to WordPress earlier. I don’t know how I lived without it before.
Other than the site tweaking, which was minimal and so very easy, it was pretty much a boring day. It was really really overcast and dreary and by the time I left work, it was pouring rain, which was fine. I need a good dreary down now and again and my plants, particularly the palm frond that I will cry if it dies, need it more.
I did stop at Michael’s on the way home and picked up some size 10 needles, which is what I really needed for the basetweave project I was ranting about yesterday. I was going to pick up some nicer yarn. Mainly this Lion Brand Cotton Ease stuff because it is soft and light without being fuzzy and itchy feeling. It is the yarn that made me want to knit when I felt it in the store because it is exactly how I prefer my garments (not fuzzy, not heavy, not itchy). But it was $5.99 a skein in Michael’s and I wasn’t prepared to spend that much when I can’t even cast on and keep casted on properly.
So once I get things down pat with the current project and current yarn then maybe I will treat myself to the Cotton Ease. Michael’s always has good sales and coupons too so I can always take advantage of that.
Beyond that, just watched some new episodes of The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Messed around with the site, ate some dinner and am now in bed, kind of not tired. I guess that’s what sleeping all weekend with do to you. My schedule is all sorts of screwed up.
But at least it’s not Monday anymore. And tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day. Since I can’t drink, have one on me!
Slàinte!
An uneventful Saturday, to the say the least.
I was wide awake about 7am. Jumped up to go potty and heard Steve shuffling in. He had remembered there was no TP in the master bath so he brought me some in. Very sweet of him! (Sorry, may be TMI but I don’t care. It touched my heart! LOL)
I decided I wasn’t ready to face the day so I jumped back into bed and dozed for another hour and a half or so until I heard Sammy whimpering. I shot up when I heard him jump off the bed and throw up on the floor. Poor guy! He has such a sensitive stomach sometimes. Plus, it’s been real dry in here these days and I think he’s having some hairball issues. But it was a quick clean up and he seemed okay the rest of the day, so not to worry.
It took me forever to get motivated but I finally did. I made a grocery list and set a budget then headed out to the new Bi-Lo down the road, which has quickly become my go-to grocery store (when I don’t feel like trekkin’ to Publix). I was only in there an hour and half and came in $34 under budget. I saved $54 and now have a little over two weeks worth of groceries.
I’m not a heavy coupon clipper and I never take the time to double-coupon or stockpile on things and only pay like $5 for 18 bottles of shampoo or something, but I have my techniques. I’m only shopping for two people but we try to be a bit budget friendly, mostly because I hate wasting food. Here’s what I’ve been doing lately:
- Planning my meals around the sales. This may be a no-brainer, but it didn’t even occur to me to do this before. I would just plan my meals then buy what I needed for the recipes, regardless of whether it was on sale. This has made a good difference for us.
- Compromise on name brands. There are certain things that I will not buy generic. Diet Dr. Pepper, for example. I drink a lot of this – it literally is my coffee, my cigarettes, my get up and go. I’m probably very addicted to it. But only Diet Dr. Pepper. No Diet Dr. Bob. No store brand stuff. It doesn’t come near the real kind. So I won’t buy anything else. But Steve will drink store brand soda. And other things, like mac-n-cheese – it’s ok to buy generic. Or paper products (as long as the toilet paper is two-ply). Set your standards and then work with them on other things.
- Cut your own meat (or, don’t fall victim to convenience). I’m not saying that you should open a butcher shop in your house or raise and slaughter cows in your backyard. I’m explaining that there are certain things that you can do yourself to help cut down on the expense of the meat. Because I know every other trip, I’m spending a LOT more money because I’m trying to replenish my meat supply. Buy split chicken breasts. With a good knife, you can turn them into boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I bought a pack of five today (roughly 4.5 pounds) and paid $1.57 per pound. They were selling the already cut boneless, skinless breasts for $2.99 a pound and you could only buy them in packs of 2.5 to 3 pounds or so. I also bought two sirloins steaks, roughly two pounds a piece, and with a good cut, turned them into four meals. I then freeze them all and just pull them out when we are going to make each meal.
- Don’t be afraid of marked down meat. I’m not talking about the stuff that is past the expiration date or the really discounted stuff. I’m talking about the stuff that might expire tomorrow and they need to get it off the shelf. I saved three dollars on each pack of split chicken breasts today because they needed to be moved tomorrow. I brought them home, cut them and placed them in the freezer. The key is to inspect them first in the store. If beef is dark all over, probably not good to buy. If chicken is really runny and smells a bit, not good to buy. Just know what you’re comfortable with.
- Know your store. I know the general layout of the common stores that I visit in my head and when I make my list, I separate everything I need into sections of the store. That way I’m not running all over hell and creation trying to get what I need and in turn, am not passing the temptations of end-caps and sales and such.
I’m sure there’s more but those are the ones I can think of the top of my head. I’ve tried to do the coupon thing but I always forget to buy a paper and I’m just not that dedicated. Mostly, I stick to buying the generics when I can, splitting large purchases of meat over quite a few meals and having our common, cheap, go-to recipes that I can add to the mix when we really need to budget crunch.
Of course, I buy all the food and we haven’t even eaten dinner. Steve played hours upon hours of video games and I read a little bit of the new book I’ve started (in the sidebar, Love The One You’re With by Emily Giffen – I can truly say that I am 36 pages in and I’m am enchanted!). I also casted on for my first actual knitting project: a basketweave scarf in a cheap, but really soft pine yarn that may or not be succesful as I’ve already ripped the stitches like five times and am now only three rows in. Knitting and perfectionism: probably not the best combination.
Also, it doesn’t help that when I pulled the new skein out of the bag, Sammy went a bit crazy sniffing it and Steve egged him on, saying “Get it, Sam!”. So the dog ended up trying to grab the skein and when he finally got a hold of it, he zoomed off the couch and whipped it around like he does the five million other ACTUAL toys that he has. Because you know, my yarn is a toy now! And in doing so, he unraveled a good half of it so now I have to manually keep unraveling it as I’m knitting. Lesson learned: will keep the yarn away from the dog from now on.
Then, we pretty much lazed around. Steve made me watch The Monster Squad. Now I’m catching up on some TiVo. My house is still a wreck and I don’t know if I will get around to cleaning it tomorrow. I should because it’s supposed to be a rainy day but I really just want to hang out, watch more TiVo, knit and read some more.
I guess we shall see tomorrow. It’s a shame Chick-Fil-A isn’t open. Their Chick-N-Minis would be a great way to start it off! 
For now, it’s off to torture Steve with reality TV and maybe fill up on one of the few splurges I allowed myself today: Oreos or Ben & Jerry’s!
I’ve never been ashamed of the fact that I’m a whore for television, be it actual decent programming or crappy reality TV. So I figured maybe if I posted my thoughts on the things on the TiVo, I might find some comrades seeing as it feels like there’s no one I can talk to about some of my shows.
- First off, I’m still pissed they moved Prison Break to the same time slot as Heroes. Now, I’ve got to wait to watch one of them. I’ve watched both shows from day one and am still hanging on. There is one reason that I will continue to watch Prison Break no matter how arbitrary or fantastical it gets: the acting. William Ficthner (Mahone) and Michael Knepper (T-Bag) are superb and they just light up the screen every time they’re on. The others should really take some tips from them (I’m looking at you, Dominic Purcell LINC SMASH!). Heroes, on the other hand, eh! I haven’t quite decided if I like this season. Love that Sylar is good, only because Zachary Quinto rocks that character. Still hate Mohinder. Still hate Peter. Kind of hate Claire this season. Still love Elle. Bored with Tracy (just because Ali Larter is boring) and Nathan. Even Hiro has lost his appeal. But I like where they’re going with the storyline and bringing you back to the beginning where you didn’t know who was good or bad. I’ll probably hang on at least until the end of the season and see how it goes.
- I picked up The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother as regulars this season. Should have picked up HIMYM earlier. The writing, the characters, the stories. Definitely a much better acted and written and appealing Friends. And who doesn’t love Barney? AndTBBT – one word – Sheldon! He carries that show and he is fabulous! I must laugh out loud for at least half of that show.
- I was a pretty loyal watched of The Shield the past few seasons but I just can’t get into now. I still hang on because it’s the last season but damn, if something doesn’t pick up soon, I’m gonna end up being more than happy when it’s over.
- After skipping a season, I started ANTM again. Don’t know. The girls are mediocre, Tyra is still full of herself, challenges are pretty much the same. I just like the pretty pictures. And Nigel Barker (rowr!). And Miss Jay’s antics crack me up. I call McKey as the winner. Annaleigh and Samantha are just too commercial to be fierce like Tyra wants.
- Parking Wars is awesome! Steve says I love it because it’s familar and maybe he’s right. I’ve lived and worked in Philly so I know all about the PPA. And I know all about the assholes that live there. So it’s almost gratifying to watch as people scream and cry and blame everybody else. It’s so so funny to watch!!
- I started watching The Office steadily this season. I’ve always liked it, just never picked it up. I’m glad I did though because I love watching Jim and Pam. And everyone else makes me laugh so hard. So many of those situations are relevant to my job that it’s scary.
- I’m still hanging on to Grey’s Anatomy. It’s a shame because I really hate Meredith. If she were gone, I’d be a happy happy person. Because there are so many better things about the cast behind her. Like Sloan and Torres’ friendship/relationship. Or Christina and McArmy (who is a hottie!) – thank god – she needed someone after the whole Burke thing. I am so pissed about them bringing Denny back (or whatever they’re doing with him). Can’t Izzie just be happy without him showing up? I like him and Alex together. And Lexipedia – love her, hate her going after George. Still think Bailey and the Chief are two of the shows strongest characters. So glad Hahn left. McDreamy can go too – he’s just blegh.
- Also still hanging onto ER. I love Angela Bassett and it’s a shame that it’s the last season because I’ve love to see her as a regular for a much longer time. Love Sam and Gates together, mainly because they both have been through a lot and deserve to be happy. Kind of glad Abby and Luka are gone because they were getting boring. Bored with Neela. Still love, love Frank. And I hate that they killed Pratt but thought the episode was so moving. I haven’t cried that hard in a long, long time.
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is definitely one of the funniest shows on TV in a long long time. That’s all I need to say about that.
- Still watching Wife Swap. I can’t stop. Seriously, somebody help. At least I got away from Supernanny.
- Rock of Love Charm School is the most satisfying craptastic reality TV. Seriously, these skanks are just hysterical to watch. Then again, I’m satisfied with almost any crappy reality they put on VH1. Most of the time. Excluding anything involving New York, Real or Chance (which amazingly enough I thought I would like) or The Pick Up Artist (I can’t watch his bullshit anymore – it’s almost pathetic how much he believes in this empire – like some kid who actually believes that WoW is real and brings it into his real life. He’d be lucky if that shit he feeds girls worked because he wouldn’t even get a hi out of me wearing that damn fur hat!). Celebrity Rehab? Actually almost too serious for me. Except for crazy Gary Busey. And even thought it’s already over – I Want to Work for Diddy was kind of the shit.
- Also been watching a lot of the Food Network these days. I love Ace of Cakes, Challenge, Good Eats, Iron Chef and The Cheff Jeff Project. I’ll also watch anything with Paula Deen. Still hate Sandra Lee and the Barefoot Contessa (so boring!) and I’m also beginning to hate Rachel Ray, which is a shame because she used to be my girl. Also, Bobby Flay – comes off as kind of a prick.
- Other notables: Chelsea Lately, The Soup, My Name is Earl, The Girls Next Door, The Hills
- Other hateables: Jon and Kate Plus 8, 17 Kids and Counting (can’t stand either one of these families for different reasons – mainly watch so I can hate on them)
And finally, I want to talk about two of my absolute favorite shows this season
- Sons of Anarchy in new on Wednesday on F/X and leave it to that channel to not disappoint. (Truthfully, I’m a fan of a majority of thier shows: Nip/Tuck, The Shield, Rescue Me) Anyway, Sons is about a motorcycle club in a small town in California who basically keep the small time criminals in check and keep an eye on the town mostly so they can run their own arms business. The acting is superb (check out Katey Segal, formerly Peg Bundy, as the matriarch of the biker gang), the storyline is engaging and at least once a week, someone gets their ass handed to them. Like the time Katey Segal hit the chick from 8 Mile and Crossroads in the face with a skateboard. Or when Katey (whose name is Gemma) basically handed the heroin overdose over to Adriana of The Sopranos fame while she in the hospital after prematurely giving birth to her son after a drug overdose. Or when they burned the gang tattoo of the back of one of the former members with a blowtorch – while he was awake. Or when they cut some rapists balls of and let him bleed out. It’s just, kind of awesome!
- And oh lord, The Real Housewives of Atlanta! I can’t even tell you about this show. It’s drama, it’s glitz, it’s glamour, it gold diggers. NeNe cracks me the hell up and I’d hang out with her in a minute. Kim is such a trailer trash skank and you know her wig came off the clearance aisle at the drugstore. There is no way that bitch is 29! Sheree – wooooo lord! She’s always saying, “people are jealous of my success”. What success? Marrying and divorcing a football player? Puh-lease! And Lisa. I don’t know about her. She’s like an annoying little wind up doll. And you know she’s playing both sides of the group. Poor DeShawn – she’s so nice but so very clueless. But seriously, the drama in that show I can’t stay away from. And next week, when NeNe confronts Kim. Oh man, I salivate at the thought. And can I just say too, Dwight, NeNe’s fabulous gay friend – he cracks me up too. And he reminds me of The Lady Chablis from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
So that’s it. I just realized I watch way too much TV. But oh well, I work so hard during the day and that’s what TiVo is for. But it’s good to get off my chest!
Did I ever mention I was a fan of 90210? Looking at my birthdate and realizing I was a teenager in the mid-90′s, do I even have to?
But yes, I was. I loved Dylan, found Brandon cute but too nice, hated Steve and thought David was a douche. Kelly was too good and I took pleasure in her downward spiral. Brenda was too much of a bitch. Donna was just weird and Andrea was just too nerdy. But I loved them all together and immensely enjoyed watching them go through their trials and tribulations.
So you can best believe I tuned into the new one tonight. And I just have a few thoughts:
- The grandmother, Tabitha – LOVED HER! She piped enough comic humor into the show to lighten it up. Loved how she complained, at the very beginning, about the gardener parking his shitty truck in her driveway and it was really their van.
- There are no cute boys on this show! None. Ethan is a douche, the Steve Sanders kid (George, I think) is just funny looking and the Ty Collins kid is like any other spoiled rich boy you see on the other shows peppering the networks. Though he drove a Bentley and flew Annie to San Fran for dinner. I’m not materialistic, but I’m just saying.
- Naomi – is she good? is she bad? The chick playing her was on Nip/Tuck and was just an awful, awful bitch and I still look for her to play that kind of part. I see evil in Naomi, but I also see a bit of good. I’m interested to see where they go with her but I have a hard time sympathizing – mostly because she just looks like a bitch and partly because the chick is kind of a bad actress.
- Why would Annie be remotely interested in someone who she caught cheating on his girlfriend at the time? Part of me would turn and run the other way!
- Did anyone catch “Muscles McGee” in the lacrosse team scenes – you know, the jacked blond guy with the spiked hair, the tight ass polo and the popped color. I had to pause the TiVo both times just to laugh at him.
- Linda Gray – good lord! She hasn’t changed a bit. Looks exactly the same. Fountain of youth or a great plastic surgeon. Nice cameo though. Seems like she might be a regular.
- Lori Loughlin as the mom is kind of boring. She’s not very engaging, not exciting and she’s not even believable as these kids disciplinarian. Same with Rob Estes who, might I add, is still kind of cute after all these years. The whole principal/dad thing is kind of lost on me. Sure, it creates a great dynamic but the original thrived without any school administration appearing, so I wonder if this is actually going to make it interesting or make me want to roll my eyes everytime we see someone in the principal’s office getting “disciplined”.
- Kid with the porn star father – didn’t catch his name but I guess he’s supposed to be the new David Silver. He’s decent in the sidekick role but I hope that’s where they keep him because I can’t see him being anymore interesting than that.
- Adriana – the moody girl from the wrong (i.e. poor) side of the tracks who’s addicted to pills but still hangs out with the popular crowd. Part of me thinks that’s too many stereotypes wrapped into one character.
- Ahhh, Silver – we all wondered what relation she would have to David Silver. Well, it seems she’s Kelly Taylor’s sister, which, if you remember, David and Kelly’s parents married. So I would assume Silver is a product of that marriage. She also mentioned that her father cheated on her mother with her mother’s best friend. Interesting! And apparently, Kelly’s mother (and Silver’s) is all fucked up again. Ahhh, the drama never stopped apparently.
- Did anyone catch the shout out to Andrea at the beginning? The girl doing the news was Hannah Zuckerman-Vasquez, i.e. Andrea’s daughter. And the teacher made a crack about her looking like the oldest teenager on the planet. And I got it because of old school 90210. Woot!!!
And to the greatest part – Brenda and Kelly! Loved seeing them again. Brought back old times. But even Kelly, in her guidance counselor role, was as boring as she used to be. And Brenda was a bit spicy as always. But those two never got along as well as they did now. Even when they were nice to each other, there was always that underlying bitchiness and tension. Where is that now? I find it hard to believe those two girls just made up and moved on. If so, what kind of fun is that?
Overall, I’m not sure if I like it. I might try one more show but these two hours dragged on and on and didn’t entertain me as much as I hoped for. It’ll never be the old cast but you’d think if they were reinventing the wheel, they’d at least make it out of platinum – good, shiny, strong and interesting.
Instead, it’s just sort of ho hum. It’s sad when the older actors outshine the newer ones.
Oh, and did I mention Nat was there. At the Peach Pit that they turned into a coffee shop. Really? Love Nat, hate the coffee shop idea!
One last thing: anybody else think Brandon’s the father of Kelly’s little boy?
