I had my iPod on random, but it was playing a bunch of stuff I wasn't in the mood for. I kept skipping. Finally, I took a few minutes to create a playlist with just what I am in the mood for today. It got me thinking. We have comfort food, comfort clothes, why not comfort music?
I am feeling kind of blah today. I'm not sick. I'm not depressed. But it is a gloomy day outside, and I am facing a weekend of working on a huge, ugly project, so I guess I am in search of a certain kind of music to go along with that feeling.
I don't want sad...I am NOT depressed, and sad music may just send me into it. So no easy listening, I want to slit my wrists but all I have is a plastic knife kind of stuff.
But neither do I want to hear anything too happy and rockin', or I may get the urge to actually have fun this weekend instead of staying chained to this desk. Sadly, I have no time for the distraction of fun.
Also, I need something I can sing along to...something to keep me interested and awake, but not too excited.
In other words...comfort music.
So with the criteria of upbeat, but not too fun, sing along, comforting memories type stuff, I compiled my comfort music list. Here are the primary artists I selected:
The Eagles
The Four Seasons
Bread
Elvis Presley
Kenny Rogers
Journey
The Grass Roots
Neil Diamond
The Beach Boys
Bruce Springsteen
Buddy Holly
John Denver
ABBA
Three Dog Night
There are a few single songs on the list, but mostly these guys. Go ahead...make fun if you want, but frankly, I am diggin' it! It was exactly what I needed.
Now if I could only listen to it in my jammies and comfy socks with a bowl of mashed potatoes in front of a fire, I'd be the comfort queen!
What is YOUR comfort music?
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
iTunes for Tuesday
Game time! Identify the song one way or another (artist, title, next line, or all three if you're really S.M.R.T.).
1) There's a port on a western bay, and it serves a hundred ships a day
2) Like a rhythm unbroken...Like drums in the night...Like sweet soul music...Like sunlight...I need your love
3) I don't want to hear about it anymore. It's a shame I've got to live without you anymore. There's a fire in my heart, a pounding in my brain, it's driving me crazy.
4) When you snap your fingers, or wink your eye...I come a running to you
5) Tonight's the night we'll make history, honey, you and I
Okay...three softballs, here, and two that are maybe slightly harder. #2 and #3 are two of my all time favorite songs (somewhere in the top 100...maybe 150), so someone HAS to get them! Good luck!
1) There's a port on a western bay, and it serves a hundred ships a day
2) Like a rhythm unbroken...Like drums in the night...Like sweet soul music...Like sunlight...I need your love
3) I don't want to hear about it anymore. It's a shame I've got to live without you anymore. There's a fire in my heart, a pounding in my brain, it's driving me crazy.
4) When you snap your fingers, or wink your eye...I come a running to you
5) Tonight's the night we'll make history, honey, you and I
Okay...three softballs, here, and two that are maybe slightly harder. #2 and #3 are two of my all time favorite songs (somewhere in the top 100...maybe 150), so someone HAS to get them! Good luck!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Office Restroom Etiquette
I just came out of the bathroom at work...and there was a floaty turd in there. Soemone actually left that for one of their co-workers to discover. How thoughtful.
Here's the thing...we only have bathrooms in our office. Single rooms, like the one in your house. No stalls with multiple toilets, but one single solitary toilet. This seems to make people feel like they are at home, and act accordingly.
Using the bathroom at work is NOT the same thing as using the bathroom at home. IT. IS. NOT. THE. SAME.
To try to further explain my meaning, I have drafted up a set of rules to hang on the wall of the office bathroom. Tell me what you think:
1) There is only one...ONE bathroom, for all of the people in this office. A line is forming as we speak. HURRY THE FUCK UP!
2) In other words, LEAVE the newspaper in the break room. You do not live here! Reading in the bathroom is NOT appropriate!
3) If you suspect that, newspaper or no, you will NOT be able to hurry, consider using the public restrooms upstairs. There are stalls there, so even if you decide to homestead in one of them, there are other stalls available. Doesn't it make more sense for you to be slightly inconvenienced by going upstairs, than making the five people waiting in line miss their entire break, then STILL have to trek upstairs in the end? Doesn't it? Oh, I forgot...it's all about you, isn't it?
4) If you break rules 1 through 3...light a damn match!
5) Make sure the toilet seat is clean when you are finished, and that everything you put into the toilet flushes down it. I don't need, nor want, to see what you've spent twenty minutes doing in there.
Failure to comply with these rules may result in a well deserved ass-kicking. While Management believes these rules should be self-evident, they reserve the right to add to these rules at they deem neccessary. Thank you. Have a nice potty.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
iTunesday Tuesday
Identifiy the lyrics one way or another (artist, song, next line)
1) Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied with knowin' I got no one left to blame
2) Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be. There's a shadow hanging over me.
3) Ice. Your only rivers run cold. These city lights, they shine as silver and gold.
4) I was justified when I was five. Raising cane, I spit in your eye.
5) Turn the music way down low. Let me see you in the glow. In the fire light you are shining.
Ohhhhh...some of these are hard this week! If you can get 1, 3 or 5, I will be IMPRESSED! Good luck!
1) Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied with knowin' I got no one left to blame
2) Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be. There's a shadow hanging over me.
3) Ice. Your only rivers run cold. These city lights, they shine as silver and gold.
4) I was justified when I was five. Raising cane, I spit in your eye.
5) Turn the music way down low. Let me see you in the glow. In the fire light you are shining.
Ohhhhh...some of these are hard this week! If you can get 1, 3 or 5, I will be IMPRESSED! Good luck!
Monday, September 17, 2007
A Few Good TV Shows (14-16)
I will post pictures of the car show tomorrow.
In the mean time...
Dancing With the Stars
My name is Maggie, and I am a reality television junkie. I know what you haters are thinking. I know because I have heard this all before. How can you waste your time, your money, your brain cells, watching something absolutely no societal value? Because. That is my only answer. Because.
Because I love it! I love the costumes and the dancing and the celebrities and the professionals and the horror and the grace and the judges and music and the bad puns and the whole damn thing so shut up! Just. Shut. Up.
Eight is Enough
I think we are back to the only child thing...I seem to love shows with lots of kids and family drama. I love that there are eight siblings who look nothing...NOTHING alike. There are blonds and brunettes and red-heads and really, really dark brown, almost black-heads. How these all came out of the same two people is a mystery I never solved.
Still this show tackled some pretty heavy topics in the 70's...couples living together before marriage, divorce, birth control, marijuana! Shew! The Brady's had it easy compared to the Bradfords! So all that PLUS the stylin' threads and hair!
ER
Only the stuff before Dr. Green died. When he quit, I quit. It wasn't the same without Goose.
In the mean time...
Dancing With the Stars
My name is Maggie, and I am a reality television junkie. I know what you haters are thinking. I know because I have heard this all before. How can you waste your time, your money, your brain cells, watching something absolutely no societal value? Because. That is my only answer. Because.
Because I love it! I love the costumes and the dancing and the celebrities and the professionals and the horror and the grace and the judges and music and the bad puns and the whole damn thing so shut up! Just. Shut. Up.
Eight is Enough
I think we are back to the only child thing...I seem to love shows with lots of kids and family drama. I love that there are eight siblings who look nothing...NOTHING alike. There are blonds and brunettes and red-heads and really, really dark brown, almost black-heads. How these all came out of the same two people is a mystery I never solved.
Still this show tackled some pretty heavy topics in the 70's...couples living together before marriage, divorce, birth control, marijuana! Shew! The Brady's had it easy compared to the Bradfords! So all that PLUS the stylin' threads and hair!
ER
Only the stuff before Dr. Green died. When he quit, I quit. It wasn't the same without Goose.
Monday Meme
Stolen from lots of people...a Meme for Monday:
1. Is your second toe longer than your first?
Nope...thank God. That creeps me out.
2. Do you have a favorite type of pen?
No...whatever I can find in the bottom of my purse, the junk drawer at home, under the files on my desk.
3. Look at your planner for March 14, what are you doing?
Taxes...all taxes, all the time.
4. What color are your toenails usually?
RED!
5. What was the last thing you highlighted?
We are paperless...I don't own a highlighter anymore. I do highlight electronically...and if you are counting that, it is some tax document of some sort.
6. What color are your bedroom curtains?
No curtains...white wood blinds
7. What color are the seats in your car?
Gray.
8. Have you ever had a black and white cat?
Ewww, No! I am not a cat person.
9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on?
Excuse me? A what? I don't understand the question.
10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming?
I don't think so.
11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time?
I rarely carry cash anymore, but for the car show this weekend, I did take some out...just in case.
12. Whose is the last baby that you held?
My son's daughter...my granddaughter.
13. Unlucky #?
Not really.
14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste?
Yes, actually.
15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago?
Jeep Liberty.
16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators?
Ewwww. Neither. I hate those Florida schools.
17. Last time you went to Six Flags?
A looooong time ago. It has to be 12 years or more.
18. Do you have any wallpaper in your house?
In the bathroom...blue and white stripes with a lighthouse themed border, and a sports border only in the second bedroom.
19. Closest thing to you that is yellow?
Tax control sheet. Don't ask...you would die of boredom.
20. Last person to give you a business card?
My new cleaning lady.
21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to?
My new cleaning lady...oh, no wait! My parents!
22. Closest framed picture to you?
There are a bunch on a bookshelf...I can't really tell which one is closest. I think the one of me, CO, O, M and Y, my parents & grandparents.
23. Last time you had someone cook for you?
Saturday. CO barbecued stuff out at the car show.
24. Have you ever applied for welfare?
No.
25. How many emails do you have?
Too many.
26. Last time you received flowers?
Hmmmmmm. I can't remember. CO used to be really good about the flowers, but it's been awhile now, come to think of it!
27. Do you think the sanctity of marriage is meant for only a man & woman?
NO!!!!!!
28. Do you play air guitar?
No. I suck at it. Yes...I really do.
29. Has anyone ever proposed to you?
Yes!
30. Do you take anything in your coffee?
I don't drink coffee...I drink fru-fru coffee drinks, and you don't need to add anything to them!
31. Do you have any Willow Tree figurines?
I have no idea what these are.
32. What is/was your high school's rival mascot?
We had lots of rivals, but I suppose the main one was a Viking.
33. Last person you spoke to from high school?
IDK my BFF Shannon?
34. Last time you used hand sanitizer?
This weekend, after using a porta-potty at the car show.
35. Would you like to learn to play the drums?
No...my son and my brother-in-law can really play. I don't need the competition!
36. What color are the blinds in your living room?
White.
38. Last thing you read in the newspaper?
Sports section.
39. What was the last pageant you attended?
Ewwww. Pageants. That would be never.
40. What is the last place you bought pizza from?
Last night...Pizza Hut.
41. Have you ever worn a crown?
Since I cannot begin to top Ricki's answer, I will say no...unless a Burger King crown counts.
42. What is the last thing you stapled?
Paperless...we don't staple!
43. Did you ever drink clear Pepsi?
Sadly, yes.
44. Are you ticklish?
Yes...a few select spots.
45. Last time you saw fireworks?
It's been awhile! Disneyland maybe?
46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut?
This has also been awhile. They closed the one closest to us. It has to have been a year or more.
47. Who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned it?
A client this morning.
48. Last time you parked under a carport?
When I lived in an apartment...thirteen or fourteen years ago.
49. Do you have a black dog?
TWO actually.
50 . Have you had your mid life crisis yet?
I hope so. I hope it happened without me noticing.
51. Are you an aunt or uncle?
Not biologically, but via CO I have two nieces, a nephew, and two great-nephews.
52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of?
CO.
53. What kind of soap or body wash do you use?
Whatever is on sale.
54. Do you remember Ugly Kid Joe?
Unfortunately, yes.
55. Do you have a little black dress?
Ignoring the fact that nothing I own could be termed "little"...the answer is still no. I have a business-type suit dress that is black, but no evening-type dress.
1. Is your second toe longer than your first?
Nope...thank God. That creeps me out.
2. Do you have a favorite type of pen?
No...whatever I can find in the bottom of my purse, the junk drawer at home, under the files on my desk.
3. Look at your planner for March 14, what are you doing?
Taxes...all taxes, all the time.
4. What color are your toenails usually?
RED!
5. What was the last thing you highlighted?
We are paperless...I don't own a highlighter anymore. I do highlight electronically...and if you are counting that, it is some tax document of some sort.
6. What color are your bedroom curtains?
No curtains...white wood blinds
7. What color are the seats in your car?
Gray.
8. Have you ever had a black and white cat?
Ewww, No! I am not a cat person.
9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on?
Excuse me? A what? I don't understand the question.
10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming?
I don't think so.
11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time?
I rarely carry cash anymore, but for the car show this weekend, I did take some out...just in case.
12. Whose is the last baby that you held?
My son's daughter...my granddaughter.
13. Unlucky #?
Not really.
14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste?
Yes, actually.
15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago?
Jeep Liberty.
16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators?
Ewwww. Neither. I hate those Florida schools.
17. Last time you went to Six Flags?
A looooong time ago. It has to be 12 years or more.
18. Do you have any wallpaper in your house?
In the bathroom...blue and white stripes with a lighthouse themed border, and a sports border only in the second bedroom.
19. Closest thing to you that is yellow?
Tax control sheet. Don't ask...you would die of boredom.
20. Last person to give you a business card?
My new cleaning lady.
21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to?
My new cleaning lady...oh, no wait! My parents!
22. Closest framed picture to you?
There are a bunch on a bookshelf...I can't really tell which one is closest. I think the one of me, CO, O, M and Y, my parents & grandparents.
23. Last time you had someone cook for you?
Saturday. CO barbecued stuff out at the car show.
24. Have you ever applied for welfare?
No.
25. How many emails do you have?
Too many.
26. Last time you received flowers?
Hmmmmmm. I can't remember. CO used to be really good about the flowers, but it's been awhile now, come to think of it!
27. Do you think the sanctity of marriage is meant for only a man & woman?
NO!!!!!!
28. Do you play air guitar?
No. I suck at it. Yes...I really do.
29. Has anyone ever proposed to you?
Yes!
30. Do you take anything in your coffee?
I don't drink coffee...I drink fru-fru coffee drinks, and you don't need to add anything to them!
31. Do you have any Willow Tree figurines?
I have no idea what these are.
32. What is/was your high school's rival mascot?
We had lots of rivals, but I suppose the main one was a Viking.
33. Last person you spoke to from high school?
IDK my BFF Shannon?
34. Last time you used hand sanitizer?
This weekend, after using a porta-potty at the car show.
35. Would you like to learn to play the drums?
No...my son and my brother-in-law can really play. I don't need the competition!
36. What color are the blinds in your living room?
White.
38. Last thing you read in the newspaper?
Sports section.
39. What was the last pageant you attended?
Ewwww. Pageants. That would be never.
40. What is the last place you bought pizza from?
Last night...Pizza Hut.
41. Have you ever worn a crown?
Since I cannot begin to top Ricki's answer, I will say no...unless a Burger King crown counts.
42. What is the last thing you stapled?
Paperless...we don't staple!
43. Did you ever drink clear Pepsi?
Sadly, yes.
44. Are you ticklish?
Yes...a few select spots.
45. Last time you saw fireworks?
It's been awhile! Disneyland maybe?
46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut?
This has also been awhile. They closed the one closest to us. It has to have been a year or more.
47. Who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned it?
A client this morning.
48. Last time you parked under a carport?
When I lived in an apartment...thirteen or fourteen years ago.
49. Do you have a black dog?
TWO actually.
50 . Have you had your mid life crisis yet?
I hope so. I hope it happened without me noticing.
51. Are you an aunt or uncle?
Not biologically, but via CO I have two nieces, a nephew, and two great-nephews.
52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of?
CO.
53. What kind of soap or body wash do you use?
Whatever is on sale.
54. Do you remember Ugly Kid Joe?
Unfortunately, yes.
55. Do you have a little black dress?
Ignoring the fact that nothing I own could be termed "little"...the answer is still no. I have a business-type suit dress that is black, but no evening-type dress.
Friday, September 14, 2007
A True Friend
...should tell you when you are walking around for half the day with your blouse on inside out!
My friends suck! Gah!
My friends suck! Gah!
Happy Weekend
No TV today...it is a big deadline day at work, and this weekend is the big area car show, which of course CO has the car in...complete* this year.
Since last year's show, CO has added new wheels, seats, tonau (spelling??) cover and a blower.
This means I will have to post some pictures on Monday.
If you are looking for something thought provoking to read today go here. Michele has a blog up about faith and religion that I loved, and completely related to. I said in her comments, it was as if she was writing from inside my head. So yeah...what she said.
*Yes, I KNOW it is never really complete. I am slowly and painfully coming to understand this.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Since last year's show, CO has added new wheels, seats, tonau (spelling??) cover and a blower.
This means I will have to post some pictures on Monday.
If you are looking for something thought provoking to read today go here. Michele has a blog up about faith and religion that I loved, and completely related to. I said in her comments, it was as if she was writing from inside my head. So yeah...what she said.
*Yes, I KNOW it is never really complete. I am slowly and painfully coming to understand this.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
More "Best" TV (11-13)
I won't get too far today...too much bullshit at work!
But let's do a few more...
Cold Case
New show...one of those that may not be on the list 10 years down the road. You have to suspend your belief a bit for this (okay for ANY television), but...I find myself watching this one, asking how I am supposed to believe that after 40 years, these detectives were able to find this key piece of evidence that the prior detectives missed. Oh, I am sure this happens in real life...once in a great while, not every single case, every single time, but if they didn't solve every crime, who would watch?
What I really love about this show, I think, is the songs. They play some great songs! In fact, there is a whole web page dedicated to the music they play. I have visited it, then iTunes in quick succession, on more occasions than I'd like to admit.
Cha-ching! 99 cents please. Thank you!
Oh, and is Kathryn Morris (aka Detective Lily Rush) the palest woman in the history of the world? I am only asking as the second palest, just so I know where I stand.
Cosby Show
I was watching a rerun of this show just the other day and it still gives me that wonderful happy feeling. Cliff was such a warm and funny guy...the kind of guy I'd like to know in life. In the episode I watched the other day, Theo did something to get himself in trouble, and he asked his dad when he would get his punishment. Cliff asked "Are you expecting to be punished?" Theo said, "Well, shouldn't I?" to which Cliff replied "Oh, yeah!" in that funny-serious way that only Bill Cosby can. I don't know...I just loved it!
CSI (the original...NOT the spin-offs)
This is the good one. Another new one that may not be on the list in 10 years, and another that asks me to suspend reality a bit too much (like CSI lab guys are really running around arresting and interviewing suspects...isn't that the detectives job?), but still an entertaining show. They come up with some elaborate crimes (which they almost always solve), and give us a great look into forensics...something previous detective type shows either ignored or glossed over. Personally, I think the forensics is the most interesting part.
I do have to wonder though, are they teaching people to be better criminals? After watching that show, you learn about all the potential ways to get caught. In my mind I see a guy with a TiVo and a pencil, taking copious notes on how NOT to commit crimes. Of course, he will later destroy said notebook, or he will leave a clue for the CSI folks to follow up on, defeating the whole purpose, but you see my point, right? RIGHT?
That's today's list! By the way...don't panic. I don't have a whole 100, so this won't go on until the end of time!
But let's do a few more...
Cold Case
New show...one of those that may not be on the list 10 years down the road. You have to suspend your belief a bit for this (okay for ANY television), but...I find myself watching this one, asking how I am supposed to believe that after 40 years, these detectives were able to find this key piece of evidence that the prior detectives missed. Oh, I am sure this happens in real life...once in a great while, not every single case, every single time, but if they didn't solve every crime, who would watch?
What I really love about this show, I think, is the songs. They play some great songs! In fact, there is a whole web page dedicated to the music they play. I have visited it, then iTunes in quick succession, on more occasions than I'd like to admit.
Cha-ching! 99 cents please. Thank you!
Oh, and is Kathryn Morris (aka Detective Lily Rush) the palest woman in the history of the world? I am only asking as the second palest, just so I know where I stand.
Cosby Show
I was watching a rerun of this show just the other day and it still gives me that wonderful happy feeling. Cliff was such a warm and funny guy...the kind of guy I'd like to know in life. In the episode I watched the other day, Theo did something to get himself in trouble, and he asked his dad when he would get his punishment. Cliff asked "Are you expecting to be punished?" Theo said, "Well, shouldn't I?" to which Cliff replied "Oh, yeah!" in that funny-serious way that only Bill Cosby can. I don't know...I just loved it!
CSI (the original...NOT the spin-offs)
This is the good one. Another new one that may not be on the list in 10 years, and another that asks me to suspend reality a bit too much (like CSI lab guys are really running around arresting and interviewing suspects...isn't that the detectives job?), but still an entertaining show. They come up with some elaborate crimes (which they almost always solve), and give us a great look into forensics...something previous detective type shows either ignored or glossed over. Personally, I think the forensics is the most interesting part.
I do have to wonder though, are they teaching people to be better criminals? After watching that show, you learn about all the potential ways to get caught. In my mind I see a guy with a TiVo and a pencil, taking copious notes on how NOT to commit crimes. Of course, he will later destroy said notebook, or he will leave a clue for the CSI folks to follow up on, defeating the whole purpose, but you see my point, right? RIGHT?
That's today's list! By the way...don't panic. I don't have a whole 100, so this won't go on until the end of time!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
My "Best" TV (6-10)
The client promised the information would be here FIRST thing this morning, but of course it isn't, so...
On with the list!
Brady Bunch
This was, hands down, my favorite show as a kid. Maybe because I was an only child. Maybe because I thought Marcia was so cool. Maybe because I thought Greg was so cute.
Either way, I was horribly disillusioned as an adult to find that "blended families" do not always get along famously, teenagers do not always gratefully and joyfully learn their lessons, and rarely, if ever, do the kids voluntarily pitch in to help each other or sing together.
Oh, and was it me? Did I miss it? What happened to Mike's first wife, and Carol's first husband? Did they EVER address this? Because let me tell you...I have what is much more than a hunch that that things were so pleasant around the Brady household because there were no ex-es to deal with. Add those ex-es and it is chaos in that house!
"Don't call her mom! She's not your mom. I am your mom!"
"Well, I hope you're happy! You were supposed to pick them up at 6:00! You have totally ruined our plans for the evening, and the kids are crying. Look what you did!"
"Where is my money?"
"No I get the kids on Christmas this year. You had them last year. Did so! DID SO!"
See what I'm saying here?
Charlie's Angels
Like most little girls in the 70's, I wanted to be Kelly, Jill and Sabrina (and later Jill's sister...was her name Chris?). They were so cool...fighting crime in skimpy outfits, big hair, full make-up and roller skates, or on horseback, or some other overly complicated way that made them "bounce" in all the right places. Hair toss, wide smile, longing look at the speaker phone that maintained Charlie's mystery, as he called them "Angels."
This show would never work today, because after the first phone call, Sabrina would have sued Charlie for sexual harrassment, taken over the agency, and made Kelly and Jill dress in appropriate business attire.
Charmed
I like witches. And in the tradition of Samantha Stevens comes the Haliwell Sisters...except much darker. No cheery housewitches performing minor magic here. No these were kick-ass witches, fighting demons and vampires and banshees and any number of dark evil creatures, while still maintaining successful careers, relationships and families. It's much tougher to be a witch in the new millenium!
What I really did like about this show, was the fact that the sisters were good witches...destroying evil, not living it. Witches often get a bad rap, and there was even, although rudimentary, explanations of some Wican practices that shed a much needed positive light.
I also loved the ending of this show. Although the last season sucked badly, the last episode was the perfect...almost all of the old, recurring characters made an appearance, and everything was resolved, explained and wrapped up in a nice tidy bow. You even got to know what happens to the characters in the future. In my opinion, that's how a show is supposed to end!
Cheers
A bunch of dysfunctional individuals hanging out in a basement bar...but so much more! I would love to go where everybody knows my name, and are always glad I came. Who wouldn't love a place like that? A place where you can get away from the hard realities of life, and find acceptance...even if you are an annoying trivia buff who still lives with his mom, an alcoholic accountant who hides from his wife, an acid-tongued waitress, a dim-witted bartender, or a washed up, womanizing former athlete, everyone is loved for who they are. Period. It doesn't get any better than that.
Coach
I love football. I loved college. So you gotta know I'm gonna love a show about college football. Duh! The best thing about this show...while movies are infinitely quotable for me, television is usually not. I might remember a funnly line the next day, but rarely does one stick firmly enough to have me quoting it years down the road. But this show does!
It was the episode where Dauber is serving as a "Big Brother" to a little kid, and he gets a little crush going on the kid's single mom. Dauber has a girlfriend, though, and he feels terribly guilty about this...especially after he kisses the kid's mom. So he tells Coach that he is going to confess this crush/kiss to his girlfriend, whom he really loves (and later marries). Coach advises him against it, telling Dauber to, "Bury it. Bury it with a shovel, then bury the shovel."
I don't know why that struck me so funny, but I remember it to this day. And still, years later, whenever one of us thinks the another person should drop something, or keep something from someone we say, "Bury it. Bury it with a shovel, then bury the shovel."
Sorry...that was soooo more than you needed to know. But I am all about the sharing. More later.
On with the list!
Brady Bunch
This was, hands down, my favorite show as a kid. Maybe because I was an only child. Maybe because I thought Marcia was so cool. Maybe because I thought Greg was so cute.
Either way, I was horribly disillusioned as an adult to find that "blended families" do not always get along famously, teenagers do not always gratefully and joyfully learn their lessons, and rarely, if ever, do the kids voluntarily pitch in to help each other or sing together.
Oh, and was it me? Did I miss it? What happened to Mike's first wife, and Carol's first husband? Did they EVER address this? Because let me tell you...I have what is much more than a hunch that that things were so pleasant around the Brady household because there were no ex-es to deal with. Add those ex-es and it is chaos in that house!
"Don't call her mom! She's not your mom. I am your mom!"
"Well, I hope you're happy! You were supposed to pick them up at 6:00! You have totally ruined our plans for the evening, and the kids are crying. Look what you did!"
"Where is my money?"
"No I get the kids on Christmas this year. You had them last year. Did so! DID SO!"
See what I'm saying here?
Charlie's Angels
Like most little girls in the 70's, I wanted to be Kelly, Jill and Sabrina (and later Jill's sister...was her name Chris?). They were so cool...fighting crime in skimpy outfits, big hair, full make-up and roller skates, or on horseback, or some other overly complicated way that made them "bounce" in all the right places. Hair toss, wide smile, longing look at the speaker phone that maintained Charlie's mystery, as he called them "Angels."
This show would never work today, because after the first phone call, Sabrina would have sued Charlie for sexual harrassment, taken over the agency, and made Kelly and Jill dress in appropriate business attire.
Charmed
I like witches. And in the tradition of Samantha Stevens comes the Haliwell Sisters...except much darker. No cheery housewitches performing minor magic here. No these were kick-ass witches, fighting demons and vampires and banshees and any number of dark evil creatures, while still maintaining successful careers, relationships and families. It's much tougher to be a witch in the new millenium!
What I really did like about this show, was the fact that the sisters were good witches...destroying evil, not living it. Witches often get a bad rap, and there was even, although rudimentary, explanations of some Wican practices that shed a much needed positive light.
I also loved the ending of this show. Although the last season sucked badly, the last episode was the perfect...almost all of the old, recurring characters made an appearance, and everything was resolved, explained and wrapped up in a nice tidy bow. You even got to know what happens to the characters in the future. In my opinion, that's how a show is supposed to end!
Cheers
A bunch of dysfunctional individuals hanging out in a basement bar...but so much more! I would love to go where everybody knows my name, and are always glad I came. Who wouldn't love a place like that? A place where you can get away from the hard realities of life, and find acceptance...even if you are an annoying trivia buff who still lives with his mom, an alcoholic accountant who hides from his wife, an acid-tongued waitress, a dim-witted bartender, or a washed up, womanizing former athlete, everyone is loved for who they are. Period. It doesn't get any better than that.
Coach
I love football. I loved college. So you gotta know I'm gonna love a show about college football. Duh! The best thing about this show...while movies are infinitely quotable for me, television is usually not. I might remember a funnly line the next day, but rarely does one stick firmly enough to have me quoting it years down the road. But this show does!
It was the episode where Dauber is serving as a "Big Brother" to a little kid, and he gets a little crush going on the kid's single mom. Dauber has a girlfriend, though, and he feels terribly guilty about this...especially after he kisses the kid's mom. So he tells Coach that he is going to confess this crush/kiss to his girlfriend, whom he really loves (and later marries). Coach advises him against it, telling Dauber to, "Bury it. Bury it with a shovel, then bury the shovel."
I don't know why that struck me so funny, but I remember it to this day. And still, years later, whenever one of us thinks the another person should drop something, or keep something from someone we say, "Bury it. Bury it with a shovel, then bury the shovel."
Sorry...that was soooo more than you needed to know. But I am all about the sharing. More later.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
My "Best" TV Shows of All Time (1-5)
Michele had a link up to this article listing the 100 Best TV Shows of All Time.
Another list! I am excited. Because, see, I love lists. And I love television.
I'm looking at this guy's list, and I appreciate it, but I'm not feeling it. The only solution I could find was to make my OWN list. So while I sit here killing time, waiting for a client to get me their stuff, I started my list.
A few caveats...
* First, this is a personal choice thing. You don't have to like everything I like...feel free to say so, but don't tell me I'm an idiot for liking (or NOT liking) something. If we all liked the same things, we'd be boring as hell.
* Second, I don't care what social value a show has or doesn't have. I watch television to be entertained not enlightened.
* Third, I KNOW there are better shows out there, so,I am not calling my list THE Best...I am calling it MY "Best". Can you appreciate the difference? Can you?
*Fourth, there are no news shows on this list, for several reasons, but mostly I am back to the whole "entertainment" thing, and news, while educational, is not entertaining...at least to me.
*Fifth, there are some new shows on this list that would probably not be there in 10 years. There are more new shows that old, considering. But in my defense, with the advent of the TiVo, I have been able to follow television in a way I couldn't "back then", so I have gotten much more attached to some of these new shows. Deal with it.
Okay, so, on to the list, which by the way, is presented alphabetically, not in any ranking sort of way. I can't begin to differentiate my very favorite from, say, my fourth or seventh favorite.
The Addams Family
I love these characters! They are, well..."creepy and kooky." I normally hate movies that spun off from television shows, but in this case I think I love the movies even more. Probably because I love the actors they got to play these over the top characters, and I love the quotable one-liners (like "That's it the spirit, Thing! Lend a hand!" and "Where's your costume, Dear?"..."I'm a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else." and "Pass the salt."..."And what do we say?"..."NOW!").
But you can't appreciate all of that without knowing this all started with the television show. It was my favorite "old re-run show" that was on when I was a kid. Wednesday rocks!
All in the Family
Growing up, I knew people like Archie Bunker...toned down versions at least. Narrow-minded, racist, working-class men, who lived old-school in a changing society. I am not excusing them, but I am saying they weren't all bad, either. They were flawed human beings who were capable of of goodness and badness alike. You could see that in Archie Bunker, because even though you hated some of the things he stood for, you never really hated him.
American Idol
Like it or hate it, this show has been an amazing phenomenon. In it's first few seasons, I avoided it like the plague, making fun of my friends who actually...called and voted. Then, somewhere, somehow, I got sucked into the vortex. I watch faithfully and I call in votes. It is a guilty pleasure. And not only mine, considering that almost everyone I know watches this show. I can bond with my teenagers and my mother alike over this show. CO and I actually take the time to sit down and watch together. It is all the talk around the water cooler at work. It seems like any lagging conversation can be saved with the question "So, who's going home this week?"
Beverly Hills 90210
Speaking of guilty pleasures...I have to admit to this one. I don't KNOW why I cared about Dylan and Brenda and Brandon and Kelly...but I DID. I really DID.
I was in my early twenties when this show was at the height of it's popularity, and maybe it was that fact that my friends and I played a drinking game while watching this show each week ("When Dillon drinks, drink with the man!", or "Drink whenever Brandon says 'Bro'"), so I was usually drunk while taking in all the teenage angst. Maybe that explains it, because I got nothing else.
Bewitched
I heart Samantha Stevens! My problem was with Darren. Not the fact that the producers thought we wouldn't notice the old actor switch-a-roo, but that he was always trying to get Samantha to be "normal". Why should she want to be normal? She was a magical witch for Pete's sake! Why would she want to give that up for Darren...who, frankly, wasn't all that. I mean, why did he marry her if he wanted her to be someone else. When you marry someone, aren't you supposed to love them for who they are, and not try to change them all the time? I get that he was proud of her secretly, but worried about his boss finding out. Still, that's pretty fucked up. And did I mention she was a magical witch? She could have done better than Darren. I'm just sayin'.
I've got more later!
6 Years
It is September 11th, isn't it. I wasn't thinking of the date when I posted frivolity this morning.
But I think one of the lessons I learned from September 11th, strangely enough, is that frivolity must survive.
Like everyone else out there, I will never forget that day six years ago. I see myself 20 years down the road, explaining to my grandchild (who will be nearly 22 by then) about that day, and how it changed our lives, much like my grandfather told me about Pearl Harbor.
I truly believe in 20 years I will still be able to remember everything clearly. The night before, we had been watching Monday Night Football. My team had been on, and one of my favorite players had been badly injured. That had seemed so upsetting on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, nothing could have been less important. I went downstairs to take O to school, and I saw what was happening with the first tower. I went upstairs to wake the rest of the house (we had company from out of town visiting), and by the time I got back downstairs, the second plane hit. In 20 years, I will still remember that feeling...like someone poured cement in my belly.
In 20 years, I will still remember the faces of those poor souls whose lives were ripped apart...their fear and sadness a tangible thing, even across the airwaves. For days there was nothing but that fear and sadness and horror.
Then, one day, someone said or did something funny...and I laughed. And I felt awful about it. After all of that terribleness, how could anything ever be funny again?
But how could it NOT? Should we stop living, because so many others did that day? Should we let the terrorists change the fabric of our lives even more than they already had?
To me, the answer is NO. Frivolity and fun, joy and laughter, make life worth living, and to live without it, is not a fair testament to those lives that were lost.
I will never forget. It will be a part of me for the rest of my life. I will never take the events of that day lightly. But I believe lightness should still surround us, whenever possible. Because one other thing I learned that day...you just never know. So embrace the frivolity while you can. There are plenty of forces out there ready to steal it away.
But I think one of the lessons I learned from September 11th, strangely enough, is that frivolity must survive.
Like everyone else out there, I will never forget that day six years ago. I see myself 20 years down the road, explaining to my grandchild (who will be nearly 22 by then) about that day, and how it changed our lives, much like my grandfather told me about Pearl Harbor.
I truly believe in 20 years I will still be able to remember everything clearly. The night before, we had been watching Monday Night Football. My team had been on, and one of my favorite players had been badly injured. That had seemed so upsetting on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, nothing could have been less important. I went downstairs to take O to school, and I saw what was happening with the first tower. I went upstairs to wake the rest of the house (we had company from out of town visiting), and by the time I got back downstairs, the second plane hit. In 20 years, I will still remember that feeling...like someone poured cement in my belly.
In 20 years, I will still remember the faces of those poor souls whose lives were ripped apart...their fear and sadness a tangible thing, even across the airwaves. For days there was nothing but that fear and sadness and horror.
Then, one day, someone said or did something funny...and I laughed. And I felt awful about it. After all of that terribleness, how could anything ever be funny again?
But how could it NOT? Should we stop living, because so many others did that day? Should we let the terrorists change the fabric of our lives even more than they already had?
To me, the answer is NO. Frivolity and fun, joy and laughter, make life worth living, and to live without it, is not a fair testament to those lives that were lost.
I will never forget. It will be a part of me for the rest of my life. I will never take the events of that day lightly. But I believe lightness should still surround us, whenever possible. Because one other thing I learned that day...you just never know. So embrace the frivolity while you can. There are plenty of forces out there ready to steal it away.
Tunes-day
Tuesday games! Here's a lyric...give me the next line of the song, the song's name, and the artist.
1) Hey little girl is your daddy home ...
2) I have watched you on the shore standing by the ocean's roar...
3) They, said some day you'll find all who love are blind. When you heart's on fire you must realize...
4) Marry him your father will condone you (how 'bout that now). You marry me, your father will...
5) By order of the prophet we ban that boogie sound. Degenerate the faithful...
1) Hey little girl is your daddy home ...
2) I have watched you on the shore standing by the ocean's roar...
3) They, said some day you'll find all who love are blind. When you heart's on fire you must realize...
4) Marry him your father will condone you (how 'bout that now). You marry me, your father will...
5) By order of the prophet we ban that boogie sound. Degenerate the faithful...
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Bliss
...in the form of a hot shower! And in the form of a CO who can handle household repairs!
Hot water is now a close second behind indoor plumbing on my list of modern conveniences I couldn't live without. It gets more competitive from there.
I am also grateful for (in no particular order) refrigeration, television, telephones (specifically cell phones), personal computers, the Internet, washing machines and dryers, iPod, automobiles and electricity.
Ahhh...more bliss!
Hot water is now a close second behind indoor plumbing on my list of modern conveniences I couldn't live without. It gets more competitive from there.
I am also grateful for (in no particular order) refrigeration, television, telephones (specifically cell phones), personal computers, the Internet, washing machines and dryers, iPod, automobiles and electricity.
Ahhh...more bliss!
Friday, September 7, 2007
Day Seven
...of the hot water watch. Still nothing.
I got a late afternoon call from the plumber yesterday informing me that the home warranty insurance company had decided to deny the claim, since it has been discovered that the unit is still under manufacturer's warranty.
Oh, they would cover the plumber coming out and unhooking it. Then we would have to drive it to Home Depot ourselves, get it exchanged, pay the difference in cost ourselves, then drive it home. Then sometime next week they would pay for the plumber to come out again and install the new one.
Some. Time. Next. Week.
Uhm, let's see..."Fuck You" comes to mind!
Had we known this, we could have done this last Saturday, and skipped the whole cold shower thing...six days worth!!!!! It took them SIX DAYS...S-I-X...to decide they were going to do nothing at all!!!!
So I start thinking about this stupid home warranty insurance. Hmmmm. It was a good idea the first year we bought the house...obviously you never know what is going to go wrong. And it has been a good idea for people we know to carry this on. My parents have gotten like two A/C compressors, so the insurance has paid for itself.
We have gotten a garage door opener...and a partial refund on a new washing machine. Not enough to cover the premiums we have paid.
And looking around our house, we realized we have a new refrigerator and a new washer and dryer...all under manufacturer's warranty. Everything else is not that expensive to replace. We don't have the big ticket item...an A/C unit, so...
So why are we paying for this insurance again?? We have been duped...lulled into paying premiums we don't need to pay because we have been taught to be cautious and careful and well-insured...in case of emergency (which does NOT include 6 days without hot water, by the way).
I have two words...FUCK THAT!
I got a late afternoon call from the plumber yesterday informing me that the home warranty insurance company had decided to deny the claim, since it has been discovered that the unit is still under manufacturer's warranty.
Oh, they would cover the plumber coming out and unhooking it. Then we would have to drive it to Home Depot ourselves, get it exchanged, pay the difference in cost ourselves, then drive it home. Then sometime next week they would pay for the plumber to come out again and install the new one.
Some. Time. Next. Week.
Uhm, let's see..."Fuck You" comes to mind!
Had we known this, we could have done this last Saturday, and skipped the whole cold shower thing...six days worth!!!!! It took them SIX DAYS...S-I-X...to decide they were going to do nothing at all!!!!
So I start thinking about this stupid home warranty insurance. Hmmmm. It was a good idea the first year we bought the house...obviously you never know what is going to go wrong. And it has been a good idea for people we know to carry this on. My parents have gotten like two A/C compressors, so the insurance has paid for itself.
We have gotten a garage door opener...and a partial refund on a new washing machine. Not enough to cover the premiums we have paid.
And looking around our house, we realized we have a new refrigerator and a new washer and dryer...all under manufacturer's warranty. Everything else is not that expensive to replace. We don't have the big ticket item...an A/C unit, so...
So why are we paying for this insurance again?? We have been duped...lulled into paying premiums we don't need to pay because we have been taught to be cautious and careful and well-insured...in case of emergency (which does NOT include 6 days without hot water, by the way).
I have two words...FUCK THAT!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
In Hot Water
Oh I wish!
Two things DID piss me off this weekend...
First, our hot water heater went out Saturday morning. As I was in a hurry, I took the cold shower, and CO later pronounced it D.E.A.D. dead. So I call the home warranty people.
Or should I say the automated service, because we all know there are no people anymore. No people...anywhere. Oh, except India, but that is another story for another day. Apparently, the home warranty company doesn't even know people in India, so you get the robot voice, who assured me my claim would be addressed "promptly" and that I would receive a call "soon" to schedule a service call for "Monday, September 3."
Now as Monday was a holiday, I was a bit surprised, but pleasantly so.
I suffered through the cold showers on Sunday and Monday, knowing...just knowing, the robot voice would not lie to me, and that it would be my last cold shower. Right? I mean. the robot voice does not lie! Does it?
Monday came and went...no service...no call to schedule service, and Tuesday morning brought the worst cold shower of all! At least over the weekend I made myself busy, and with the terrible heat, worked up a sweat such that the cold shower was tolerable. But what is worse than climbing out of a comfy, cozy bed to start the morning, nee the work week, with an icy shower? Nothing!
So it is after noon when they finally...finally call, and I can talk to a real human person, who promptly tells me it will be next week before someone can come out.
Next Week? NEXT WEEK?
"Yes Ma'am. This isn't an emergency."
Uhm, okay...my voice gets high and squeaky when I am upset, and I was squeaking up a storm here. I have taken four...FOUR, cold showers in a row. I have a hamper full of dirty clothes, a dishwasher full of the least offensive dishes, and I have had to boil water to clean the most offensive ones. I feel like I need to light a lantern and tuck Mary, Laura and Carrie into their beds in the little house. And have I mentioned the four...FOUR cold showers? If this is the legendary cure for an over-active libido, I may never need to have sex again! THAT is an emergency in my books!
I called CO...and with my high squeaking voice, made it HIS problem. They are coming to look at the water heater tomorrow.
The other thing...
Last weekend (or two Saturdays ago...however you define that), we bought some new furniture. Later in the week, I found out the place we bought the furniture from was closing the location closest to me, and was having a "massive store closing sale." So I'm a little ticked off. They didn't tell us that in a few short days, the furniture we just bought would be "20 to 50 percent off our already low low prices."
I go in there, just to see how screwed we got, and to look at a few of the pieces we wanted, but didn't think we could afford just now. I stopped at my new items, while the sales dude blathered on about great savings and some shit, and almost died! Not only did we NOT get screwed...we got a great deal!
Turns out the "HUGE SAVINGS" was a bunch of bullshit! They had doubled...yes DOUBLED the prices, then marked those down like 20%. I started laughing and called the sales dude on it. He, of course denied it, until I pulled out my receipt from the week before.
Last weekend it was $399...now, after the super-duper sales event, it is $608! Or $239...now $458, and $499...now $729!
I don't fucking think so. And hey...legal eagles out there...isn't that consumer fraud or something?
I was so furious over that. And every time I think about it, I get pissed off all over again! I will so be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau.
Two things DID piss me off this weekend...
First, our hot water heater went out Saturday morning. As I was in a hurry, I took the cold shower, and CO later pronounced it D.E.A.D. dead. So I call the home warranty people.
Or should I say the automated service, because we all know there are no people anymore. No people...anywhere. Oh, except India, but that is another story for another day. Apparently, the home warranty company doesn't even know people in India, so you get the robot voice, who assured me my claim would be addressed "promptly" and that I would receive a call "soon" to schedule a service call for "Monday, September 3."
Now as Monday was a holiday, I was a bit surprised, but pleasantly so.
I suffered through the cold showers on Sunday and Monday, knowing...just knowing, the robot voice would not lie to me, and that it would be my last cold shower. Right? I mean. the robot voice does not lie! Does it?
Monday came and went...no service...no call to schedule service, and Tuesday morning brought the worst cold shower of all! At least over the weekend I made myself busy, and with the terrible heat, worked up a sweat such that the cold shower was tolerable. But what is worse than climbing out of a comfy, cozy bed to start the morning, nee the work week, with an icy shower? Nothing!
So it is after noon when they finally...finally call, and I can talk to a real human person, who promptly tells me it will be next week before someone can come out.
Next Week? NEXT WEEK?
"Yes Ma'am. This isn't an emergency."
Uhm, okay...my voice gets high and squeaky when I am upset, and I was squeaking up a storm here. I have taken four...FOUR, cold showers in a row. I have a hamper full of dirty clothes, a dishwasher full of the least offensive dishes, and I have had to boil water to clean the most offensive ones. I feel like I need to light a lantern and tuck Mary, Laura and Carrie into their beds in the little house. And have I mentioned the four...FOUR cold showers? If this is the legendary cure for an over-active libido, I may never need to have sex again! THAT is an emergency in my books!
I called CO...and with my high squeaking voice, made it HIS problem. They are coming to look at the water heater tomorrow.
The other thing...
Last weekend (or two Saturdays ago...however you define that), we bought some new furniture. Later in the week, I found out the place we bought the furniture from was closing the location closest to me, and was having a "massive store closing sale." So I'm a little ticked off. They didn't tell us that in a few short days, the furniture we just bought would be "20 to 50 percent off our already low low prices."
I go in there, just to see how screwed we got, and to look at a few of the pieces we wanted, but didn't think we could afford just now. I stopped at my new items, while the sales dude blathered on about great savings and some shit, and almost died! Not only did we NOT get screwed...we got a great deal!
Turns out the "HUGE SAVINGS" was a bunch of bullshit! They had doubled...yes DOUBLED the prices, then marked those down like 20%. I started laughing and called the sales dude on it. He, of course denied it, until I pulled out my receipt from the week before.
Last weekend it was $399...now, after the super-duper sales event, it is $608! Or $239...now $458, and $499...now $729!
I don't fucking think so. And hey...legal eagles out there...isn't that consumer fraud or something?
I was so furious over that. And every time I think about it, I get pissed off all over again! I will so be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau.
Weekend Post-Op
College Football...It's back, Baby! Gotta love the App State defeat of Michigan...at home! Hahahahah! And it is always a beautiful thing to see the Irish lose.
But Trojans...you're gonna have to do better than that to stay at number one. I am not a big fan of the Booty. I hope he makes me eat those words.
Hope everyone had a great long weekend! I enjoyed the time spent with family and some good food, but could have done without the HEAT!
Now back to work.
But Trojans...you're gonna have to do better than that to stay at number one. I am not a big fan of the Booty. I hope he makes me eat those words.
Hope everyone had a great long weekend! I enjoyed the time spent with family and some good food, but could have done without the HEAT!
Now back to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)