Obligatory Thankful Post No. 007

You guys, you know how every year in November I get all crazy about the too-early Christmas music? Well, I’m not sure if it’s the fact that Colorado weather just now turned cold or what, but this year the timing seemed juuuust right. (Do you see how I’m channeling Goldilocks right now?) And it sure didn’t hurt that Pentatonix came out with a new Christmas album to bring the holidays in with brilliant aca-music. #justsaying

I am constantly thankful for the blessings that occur in my every day life…a God that isn’t finished with me yet; my family for whom I have a depth of love that transcends words; friends of all types, far and near that I have the privilege of knowing; a job that I love; a roof over my head (that I now own! #adultinghardcore); a car that is steady and gets me through Colorado winters; not to mention all the luxuries I take for granted far too often.

However, this year I thought I’d use this time to call out some more…shall we say…trivial things that I’m thankful for. Here they are in no particular order.

1. I’m thankful for snacks that keep me sane. As I mentioned in my last post, I started a healthy eating journey this year. In my head I wondered if at the end of it all I would be that girl that would order a kale salad for lunch BY CHOICE and ACTUALLY ENJOY IT. Turns out, that didn’t happen. But what I learned in sticking with the program is that the success for me was dependent on two things (1) making a meal on the weekend that I could eat for dinners during the week and (2) finding snacks that didn’t taste like sawdust. If you’re looking for a list then, well, you know me well. Here are a few of my favorite finds:
   • Strawberry Kashi Breakfast Bars. Low sugar, high in fiber, and they tastes DELICIOUS. Plus, I really needed something that I could stick in my purse to have on-hand when everyone is eating cake in the break room.
   • Ritz Toasted Chips + Special K Cracker Chips. For when you need a salty snack, but don’t want to eat a meal’s worth of calories. The hardest thing here is to stop eating them at the serving size. Trust me on this.
   • Halo Top Ice Cream. Lord bless the genius that came up with this stuff. I’m serious. It’s like a modern day manna from heaven. So far, my favorite flavors are Birthday Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Vanilla, and Mocha Chip.
   • Corn GoodThins. Actually, all the GoodThins are pretty great. But the corn ones taste like Fritos and come in handy when you need a tortilla chip substitute.
2. I’m thankful for kitchen tools that make me happy to be alive. Baking is the best. And this year, I discovered a handy little object that makes baking muffins and cupcakes a breeze. The Tovolo Cupcake Scoop came into my life as a $8.89 impulse purchase, but it’s more than earned its spot in my very crammed cooking tool drawer. How do I love it? Let me count the ways. First, it’s under $10. Second, it makes uniform cupcakes and muffins. Third, it renders my former nickname “Batter Hands” obsolete. Need I say more?
3. I’m thankful for podcasts. PODCASTS ARE EVERYTHING! PODCASTS FOR PRESIDENT! PODCASTS FOREVER! So, I discovered podcasts this year mostly because I learned that two guys were starting up a podcast called “The West Wing Weekly”. If there’s anything I love more than (or maybe just as much as) Gilmore Girls, it’s The West Wing. While I have to roll my eyes at the liberal hosts’ opinions on some things, it’s basically one of the most wonderful things that has ever happened to me. I catch myself full-on grinning while I listen and then I have to rub out my cheek muscles so they don’t cramp (#firstworldproblems). I also love the “What Should I Read Next” podcast where host has guests on that are looking for their next read and asks them to tell her (1) three books they loved (2) one book they hated (3) what they’re reading now and (4) what they want to be different in their reading life. Recently, thanks to a friend’s recommendation, I started listening to the “Pass the Mic” podcast which is giving me a new perspective on racial injustice in our culture…and in our churches. I like that podcasts can be a way to get more information, entertainment, or broaden the scope of my understanding with just a push of a button!
4. I’m thankful for Voxer. What is Voxer, you ask? I often describe it like this: if text message and voicemail had a baby, it would be Voxer. Basically, it’s like a long distance phone conversation with a friend that you don’t have to schedule. You send a recording of you talking about whatever to your friend and they can respond when they have the time. It’s been such a great way to keep in touch with some of my friends that don’t live near me…and when I was going through some serious processing earlier this year, these conversations really helped me think things through.
5. I’m thankful Lip Sync Battles. You guys, have you even SEEN the Melissa McCarthy/Jimmy Fallon lip sync battle? It’s absolutely in my top 5. The others, in case you’re wondering, would be #1: Anna Kendrick/John Krasinski; #2: Joseph Gordon Levitt/Stephen Merchant/Jimmy Fallon; #3: Emma Stone/Jimmy Fallon; and #4: Ellen DeGeneres/Jimmy Fallon.*
6. I’m thankful for hand lotion that keeps my hands from cracking right off the face of the planet. Living in Colorado is basically like living on the face of the sun. If you aren’t careful, your skin will be as rough as sandpaper in a handyman’s garage. I think everyone kind of has their go-to lotion to battle the dryness-to-end-all-dryness here, especially during the winter. Mine is L’Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream. Now, I’m not going to sugar coat this – the lotion is expensive. But I find that if I apply it to my hands every night before I go to bed, it keeps the little dryness gremlins at bay. And I really only have to purchase it once a year. In my mind? Quality over quantity, baby. (And yes, I just called you baby. Deal with it.)

If you’re just now coming to because you feel that I’m long-winded and should have gotten to the point sooner, here’s the bottom line: I’m thankful for #allthethings. For realz, people.

XO,

Amy

*I do not condone all the language in the music choices…just for the record. 

I Heart Gilmore Girls

So, this is the last post of NaBloPoMo [insert one lonely tear traveling down my cheek]. Congratulations, everyone! We made it! Thanks for sticking with me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. You all are the best readers ever.

Now, when I created the now-famous blog topic calendar for the month of November, my first topic on the list was for tonight…a subject near and dear to my heart. That’s right. I’m talking about Gilmore Girls.

If you don’t know what Gilmore Girls is and we’re still friends…well…I can’t imagine that both of those things could be true at the same time.

When I was first introduced to Lorelei and Rory, I was fresh out of college and finding my way. That time in my life had a lot of firsts. First time to boil silverware bought at a garage sale. First time realizing that you’ve gone your whole life taking the fact that you live in a furnished home for granted. First time a roommate decides that a lease doesn’t mean she needs to live there until the end of it. First time that a different roommate moves her foreign-speaking mother into her room, fixes all their meals in said room, and rips you off two months rent and several months of utility payments. First time to discover Justin Timberlake as a solo artist (ah, Senorita…it seems like just yesterday). You know. The normal. 🙂

The Gilmore girls offered me a little respite from learning how to adult in my new, crazy life. They beckoned me into the charming world of Stars Hollow where Kirk held every job in town and reading was cool and hanging out with your mom was even cooler.

I’ve now watched those seasons more times than I can count (I’m serious. I could go toe-to-toe with anyone in a heated trivia battle of the minds.) and I have thoughts. I know for a fact that people vehemently oppose some of these thoughts because I’m a part of a closed Facebook group wholly dedicated to All Things Gilmore.* Nevertheless, this is my chance to make my voice known as the expert that I am on these matters. Especially because it was recently announced that Netflix will partner with the show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, to produce four 90-minute mini-movies that show us where Lorelei and Rory are today. Huzzah!

And here we go. [If you’ve never watched the show and you’d like to avoid spoilers, you should probably avert your eyes right about now.)

Lorelei belongs with Christopher.  Throughout the show, Lorelei had many suitors. Max Medina (Scott Cohen). Alex Lesman (Billy Burke). Jason Stiles. Luke Danes (Scott Patterson). A reluctant Beau Bellville (Nick Offerman). But none really compare to her high school love and Rory’s biological father, Christopher.

I know that Christopher was flawed. He was fairly absent parent during Rory’s growing up and had a series of failed businesses/careers. There’s no doubt about it, he left the heavy lifting of Rory’s childhood to Lorelai and that’s not a great attribute in a person. But I can’t find it in myself to dislike him because, well, Lorelai doesn’t. At one point when he’s moved on to a relationship that’s serious, Lorelai tells him “You’ve always been a wonderful possibility for me.” And if Lorelai, the one that has been the wronged one in this whole situation, can hold him in the back of her mind for so long, who am I to hold a grudge?

Christopher gets her. He knows the good and the bad. He can keep up with her pace and wit and dish it back. He views her as an equal. He loves her deeply.  And he always sees his future with her. There’s chemistry with these two. In contrast, other than the kiss at the end of season 4/beginning of season 5 that started the Lukalei relationship, there’s very little on-screen chemistry with Luke and Lorelai of them. Luke is always the curmudgeon holding her back. Not that I hate Luke! I do not. His selfless gestures were enough to win me over initially. But over multiple viewings, I definitely stand with my current opinion.

Also, the way that the Christopher and Lorelai relationship happens in the last seasons is complete crap. Amy Sherman-Palladino would have never written that if she were still at the helm of the show then.

Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) is the best character on the show. She is just the most relatable best friend that a girl could have. She’s loyal, she tells the truth, she’s loveably accident prone, and she’s a chef. What more could you ask for? I heart her so much that I just can’t stand most of the characters Melissa plays now. Sookie is my hero. SOOKIE FOR PRESIDENT! Actually, that might be a bad idea…

Logan is the best choice for Rory. Unlike Rory’s previous two long-term boyfriends who started out great and rapidly devolved into weirdness, Logan (Matt Czuchry) started as out as a playa’ but grew leaps and bounds while they were together. Not only was he sophisticated and well-read, but he also pushed her to try new things, take on new adventures, and championed her goals and aspirations. He had baggage and made some poor choices, let’s keep it real, but he really came into his own at the end there. Plus, the whole thing was kind of a Cinderella story. Bad boy meets good girl. Good girl is worth him changing his ways.

If we had never had Logan, we would have never met Colin and Finn. And that is a sad thought indeed.

I’ve had a lot of discussions with my friend and fellow Gilmore Girls fan, Jessica, who is strictly in the #TeamJess camp and I do think that I’d be okay if they bring Jess 2.0 (aka Philadelphia Jess) back in the upcoming episodes as an option for Rory.

There is no Mr. Kim. I mean, I know there was at one time or Rory’s best friend Lane would not exist. They reference him in passing all the way into season 2 but then abruptly never mention him again, not even to explain where the heck he went…? That’s just irritating.

Let’s talk Hep Alien. First, the loss of Dave Rygalski (Adam Brody) to college was the saddest thing ever. He was perfect for Lane in every way and his attempt to be accepted by Mrs. Kim by reading the Bible cover to cover in one night was literally the most adorable thing ever. But when Dave left (aka Adam joined the cast of The O.C.), Lane’s love interest eventually fell on the dim-witted and completely irritating Zack Van Gerbig and that was WAY below Lane. She deserved better.

If I could watch a spin-off show about Michel Gerard, I totally would. Snark, party of one! And bring in a little Tobin for some conflict? Sold!

I’m sure there’s more.** But I think I’ve let a little too much of my crazy peek out tonight as it is. So I shall bid you good night and good luck!

Because tomorrow is December.

XOXO,

Amy

*I know I sound like a complete lunatic, but I promise that I’m not. Think of it as Comic-Con for reading geeks, okay?

**Like the fact that the April Nardini twist was the worst thing EVER EVER.

Thanksgiving Eve

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, Everyone!

Tomorrow is actual Thanksgiving, of course, but since my mother is CONVENIENTLY on call at the hospital, it’ll be a flurry of baking, sauteing, and trying my hand at making bread dough rise (fingers crossed!). Ironically, I don’t mind making the pumpkin pie as long as no one makes me eat it. (#ew) In all the busyness, I’m sure we’ll take time as a family to recount our blessings and thank the Lord for them. But tonight, in the stillness of my parents house*, it seemed like a more conducive environment to put some words to my gratefulness for all that’s happened so far this year. While this is by no means an exhaustive list (nor listed in order of priority), these things rise to the top of my mind.

1. I’m grateful for simple but profound blessings like running water, electricity, grocery stores stocked to the gills with anything I would ever need, and transportation to get where I need to go. I’m so accustomed to having these conveniences that I rarely stop to be grateful for the true blessing that they are.

2. I’m thankful to be spending Thanksgiving with my family for the first time since I was in high school. And I’m so, so, so, so, so, so thankful for those that have taken me in at their Thanksgiving dinners over the years in between. I have some pretty amazing friends and I’ve been honored to share their food and love for well over a decade. (Let’s not be too precise with our math on that number, okay friends? ;))

3. I’m grateful for baking. Seriously, people. There are few things I love more than baking for friends and family and settling my thoughts with the process of it all. Stress baking or no, by the end of the whole thing I feel so happy. I know it’s weird, but it needs to make the list.

4. I’m thankful for my job. I’ve been there for over 7 years now and in some ways I feel as though I’m just getting started. Working with some of the best in the business, reading, and getting paid to do it? Someone pinch me. Okay, don’t, but you get my drift. (And remind me of this post on the days that are a little…shall we say…not easy.)

5. I am brimming with gratitude for the faith journey I’m on with the Lord. I’m grateful that he chose me, lead me to this point, is for me, is teaching me about his really real grace (really!), for the hope to change how I live my life in relation to him, and that he’s been beside me for every emotion and every step of the way this year. May the next month and years be a transformative adventure. I can’t wait.

6. I’m thankful for Gilmore Girls and The West Wing. I know this one is odd, too. I confessed to you all a few years back that I usually end my day with an episode of one of these shows. I’ve watched them so many times that it helps me turns my mind off. Oh, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon because sometimes you just really need to laugh and a lip sync-off is just the ticket.

7. I’m grateful for my friends, far and near. I know this seems like a generic one, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. When you live so far from family, friends become that for you. And it makes me choke up to think about all those people who have shared their heart with me and listened as I shared mine with them. For the times when we laughed our faces off and the times when we prayed for each other in the hard things. Really, for #allthethings. There are not enough words in the English language to adequately express my thankfulness for you.

8. I’m thankful for my home. Guys, there were times when I slept with AquaNet (that would work as well as mace in an assailant’s eyes, right??) at the ready by my couch because I was terrified to be by myself at night. I felt panic at the very thought of being without a roommate or being left alone for a weekend. And now, I live by myself and have for OVER A YEAR. This is one of those things where the growth happens gradually and when I look back now, I’m beyond thankful for the Lord’s grace in bringing me to this point. The ability to make it feel like my own home is just icing on the cake. (Mmmm, cake…)

9. I’m grateful for books. They grant a unique opportunity to make you see things differently, learn new things, and/or simply enjoy the experience of it all. Dumbledore was right when he said: “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of inflicting injury and remedying it.”

10. I’m thankful for music. Whether it’s my latest worship mix, dance mix, workout mix, or every day mix, it brings so much joy to my heart. Those are the times I dance like no one’s watching because…no one is. Remember? I live alone!

11. Last and by no means least,  I’m profoundly grateful for my family. For friendship with my sisters and a common bond of growing up in the same house – love you both! And for my parents who would do anything for me and taught me everything that I know. You guys are the best ever.

May you have too many blessings to count this Thanksgiving.

XOXO,

Amy

*BTW, this happened at 8:30 PM. It’s only a little after 9:00 PM but I’m the only one awake. #weird #doihearaghost

Super Heroes, Schmuper Heroes

I’m just going to be straight with you all, since we’re close and whatnot. I don’t really care for super hero movies based on comic books.* Those blockbusters that come barreling into movie theaters every summer just clog up the options for what I would really want to watch. Listen, in a world going to heck in a hand basket, I understand why super heroes are great role models. They give messages like: you can change the world! be a force for good and not evil! care for and protect your fellow humans!

I just think there are other lessons going on, too. Like: it’s important to train in order to beat people up/shoot them with arrows/focus your laser-eyes at them. Or: Sure! Go ahead and destroy a city block in your fight against your enemy. Someone else will clean that up! Or: If you do anything important with your life you’re not allowed to fall in love because it’s too dangerous for the other person. C’mon now. Don’t we all know love is a battlefield anyway? I don’t know why Clark Kent can’t get that through his skull if the rest of us have.

To me, the plot of every super hero movie can basically be summed up like this: a person with special abilities fights a big uga-uga bad guy and the battle takes place at the end of the movie and then (SMASH! BANG!) the super hero wins.**

Maybe if I had read comic books growing up, I’d get more out of the movies. But now I’ve watched The Big Bang Theory, so I know it’s a whole “thing” and it’s a subculture that I’m not prepared to get into at this stage in my life.

So when several friends that I trust recommended that I give the show Arrow a try, I was skeptical. Since the CW’s marketing campaign seemed to consist of Stephen Amell shirtless on any promos, I did not have high hopes that I would love it. That approach doesn’t exactly smack of smart writing, after all. But I watched it and I was hooked! The mythology is amazing, the characters are well-developed, and the action is addicting. I also tried the spin-off The Flash that started this fall and am really enjoying that, too. And then I tried Gotham and was intrigued (I’m several episodes behind, though). Then I had a teensy-tiny crisis because I felt like I didn’t know who I was anymore.

But then I realized! The television stories gave me CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT and that’s why I was so drawn in. It’s the same with my reading habits. All the books I love the most drew me into the story through the character. Phew. Crisis averted.

Now, even though I do enjoy these shows I have to say that there are still things that I don’t quite understand, especially about Arrow (you thought you were going to get away without a list on this post, didn’t you? Bwahahahaha!).

• Especially in the first season, the main character Oliver Queen, uses a “hit list” of bad people who his father left him and one by one takes them down by saying “[Insert name here] you have failed this city!” And the intro to every episode says that he became the arrow to “save my city”. Here’s my thing: what’s so great about his city? I certainly do not feel similarly toward Colorado Springs. Likely if half of the bad things that happen in Starling City happened here, I’d just move. I don’t get it.
• How is it that no one can tell who you REALLY are, even though all you’re wearing is dark make-up around your eyes? Or a pair of glasses? People are not stupid. These super heroes need to get better costume designers if they really don’t want their secret getting out.
• Why is it that machine guns never hit anything? I suppose I should be thankful, but why do bad guys insist on buying the gun that does the LEAST amount of damage? The hero always seems to be able to dart to a safe place under machine gunfire with very little problem.

I’ll just have to take the implausible with the good. After all, these are make-believe worlds so I have to give them some leeway. Even though my clearly brain has a hard time doing it. But there’s hope: I managed to believe that every person in a small town could speak quickly with eloquent speeches dotted with pop-culture references in order to enjoy Gilmore Girls, so I think I’ll be able to get there.

XOXO,

Amy

*The only exception for me is the X-Men movies, especially X-Men: First Class.

**Granted, I like movies that have dumb plots, too. See if this sounds familiar: Misunderstood Boy who dances meets girl who dances. They each become part of a crew to participate at a dance-off of some kind. By dancing, they solve the world’s problems. But I still can’t get enough of the Step-Up movies! So, I guess it’s just what you like. We can agree to disagree.

Funny Monday

Mondays. The re-entry to the work week. Waving good-bye to all that “free” time that the weekend brings. So what better to usher in the new week than a few funny videos? Nothing? That’s what I thought you’d say. Enjoy!

That Sheldon cracks me up every single time.

Oh, Michel. Worst babysitter ever 🙂

Josh, Josh, Josh. A secret plan to fight inflation?

Conversation 101

I don’t know if this happens to you or not. But sometimes in the course of small talk, chit-chat, interviews, or get-to-know-you conversations, one of the people involved in the interaction plays the “way open-ended question” card. This is an AWESOME move if you’re the one doing it. But on the other end, it’s a little less awesome. For instance, let’s say two girls are having a conversation. The first–let’s call her Jane–is meeting the second–let’s call her Elizabeth–for the first time.

Jane: It’s so nice to meet you, I’ve heard such nice things about you!

Elizabeth: Oh, that’s nice to hear! It’s great to meet you, too.

Jane: So tell me about yourself.

The sound you just heard was the conversation coming to a screeching halt. “Tell me about yourself”? I never know the best way to respond to that. I mean, does the person want you to start when you were born and give the highlights of elementary school, high school, college, and how you got to your job? Or do they mean to ask what your likes or dislikes are? Or what hobby you’re into? Or your pet peeves? Or your faith journey? Or what you day-to-day life looks like? Or…?

Facepalm.

I hate that question. It’s so vague that I want to shoot myself in the face, but instead I just end up rattling off a lot of information in a not-so-coherent matter just so I can get past the question and move on with my life. I get that the person is just trying to make conversation and feels like they are making a genuine effort to get to know you. But that doesn’t make it any less painful to be on the other end of the question. Am I alone here? Maybe I’m just weird. And rude.

Okay, so here’s another one for you. You’re talking to someone, and this dreaded question comes up: “So, what’s your favorite show?” But unlike the previous ambiguous question, this one at least I can be prepared for. It took time, mind you. And a specific pro/con checklist…nah. Who am I kidding? I’m no Rory Gilmore. 🙂

1. Gilmore Girls

Sure, everyone on the show talks fast and is extremely witty. But once you buy into that, it’s just amazing quotes, quirky characters, and the journey of all kinds of relationships. Love. It. And after a while, I’m embarrassed to admit, the talking part starts to sound normal. Scary, right?

2. West Wing

Apply the wit of Gilmore Girls to the world of politics, and you get The West Wing. Everything I know about politics (pretty much) comes from this show and the ensemble cast is BRILLIANT. Plus, it has the dramatic element going for it. It takes about 5 episodes to understand the characters and the basics of what they do. But once you’re there? There’s no going back. It’s eye-opening, human, and heart-wrenching. Perfect combo.

3. Friday Night Lights

Football, Coach and Tammy Taylor, the stupendous writing, and the realistic yet artful way the producers approach the show? It’s nothing more than excellent. The rise and fall of life, captured in a small Texas town where football is king? Sign me up. (And yes, I cheer during the games even though I know they’ve already been taped. So sue me.)

4. The Office

Oh. My. Gosh. Is there anything funnier out there? Now, to be fair, I’ve only seen the first six seasons. I’ve yet to see last year’s or this year’s episodes. I’m hearing some good things about planking, though. But the best part of this is Jim and Pam (of course) and watching them, as normal people, interact with all their office crazies. And Jim’s “Is this really happening right now? Please tell me someone else is witnessing this” expression is one of the most memorable ever. For shizzle.

5. The Vampire Diaries

You might judge me for this one. And if you don’t like this genre, then it’s best that you steer clear. But what I love about this show is its unpredictability and fantastic acting. It’s more than just a Twilight continuation. In fact, L.J. Smith who wrote these books wrote them long before Stephanie Meyer picked up her pen. It’s got vampires, an intense love triangle, and it’s all set in high school but the way the writers elevate this into a story that keeps you guessing through every twist and turn? Pretty incredible.

Whelp! There it is. For better or worse. How ’bout you?

True Confessions

Feel free to sit down, pour yourself a glass of iced tea and turn on some music…preferably “True Colors” from the Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit*. What can I say? I like a theme. 🙂

I don’t think I have to tell you that a good relationship is based on communication. And since I’ve been incommunicado since American Idol ended (I needed a little breather from the rigors of voluntary recap blogging…whew!), I feel I should make things up to you by telling you a few things you probably don’t care about at all. But maybe this vulnerability on my part will draw us closer and you will magically forget that I’ve neglected you for these long months. A girl can hope, right?

1.  I own the complete series on DVD of two particular shows: Gilmore Girls and The West Wing. These are easily my favorite shows of all time and I feel like I’m not alone in liking them…after all, they were both on for seven seasons! But what you may not know is that I’ve re-watched them end to end (after GG, start WW…rinse, lather, repeat) often just before going to sleep. There’s something about the background noise of a familiar show that helps me turn off my thinking from the day, relax, and usually fall asleep right away. I know it’s kind of dumb, but at least if I’m ever on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and a question comes up about either show, I’ll be totally covered. And feel free to use me as your “phone a friend” if you need me. I know. My generosity overwhelms you. You can thank me later. But seriously. Who could not love this??

2. I’m a reader but not a READER. When one thinks of someone who love the written word, one conjures up images of an English professor sitting in a study wearing a corduroy jacket with patches on the elbows and a pipe in his hand, a shock of hair falling across his brow as he pours over Chaucer and Whitman and Milton (oh my!). Or maybe that’s just me…In any case, I must admit to you now that I have never made it through a Jane Austen book. I have never read Wuthering Heights. With the exception of Little Women, I have not read a “classic” book outside of assigned school reading (except maybe The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. And my Mom made me read the first 20 pages of Black Beauty). Most English literature poems do not make sense to me at all (even though I took a poetry writing class for fun in college). Mostly, I read modern-day fiction. Also, I read some non-fiction if I’m really passionate about the subject. But let’s keep it real since I’m among friends – a reader, I am. A READER, I am not.

3. While I consider myself an organized person, usually my desk at work looks like a war zone in which death by paper is a very real possibility. I can’t help it – there’s no place for this stuff to go! File folders, books, stacks of paper, lists…sometimes clausterphobia kicks in and I have to take a walk and breathe in and out of a brown paper bag to return to it. It’s a good thing that I can keep this messiness a secret since in cubicles everything is so hidden. *cough

4. I’ve already seen the new Karate Kid movie twice in the theater. I love it. A lot. The only thing that would make it better would be if they released it in the IMAX so that I could pretend to be in the film. Now let’s not kid ourselves…I’m a definite fan of the original movies (even The Next Karate Kid with Hilary Swank that most people try to forget even happened). I was skeptical that anyone would be able to remake such a classic without making it totally cheesy. They did, though. Whoever “they” is. In any case, my hat is off to them and I will never put my jacket on without mentally pretending to rebuff the advances of karate chop after karate chop delivered by Jackie Chan.

Well, there you have it. I’m glad we had this talk. Have any confessions of your own? Leave them in the comments so I don’t feel alone. 🙂

*A few of my friends make fun of me for saying the full titles of sequels. It’s not “Step Up 2” it’s “Step Up 2: The Streets”. It’s not “Sister Act”, it’s “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit”, etc. I’m not alone in this, am I? I’m being laughed at for being accurate!

And then there were 10

Fun fact: I got a new computer for my birthday. I love it. It’s super pretty and shiny and FAST. Did you guys know that it doesn’t take 10 minutes to connect to the internet?? I feel like it’s a whole new world (a new fantastic point of view). Here’s the thing, though. The computer has these really weird shortcuts. When I wrote last night’s recap, I opened about 7 new tabs in Internet Explorer, none of them intentionally. I also managed to add the draft of the blog post URL as a favorite. Twice. At certain points, the computer began to highlight a lot of my text and then when I tried to type normally, it deleted the other text. Thank goodness for the “undo” command which saved my blogging life last night. So, as you can see, there are certain electronical powers at work here. And they’re evil. (That reminds me of a Gilmore Girls quote when Rory says: “Sat and forever am at work here”. Name that scenario!) Ahem. Okay. Back to American Idol.

I love it when the American Idol production people get to stretch their wings and put together creative intro/trailers that make the show seem like an action/suspense movie instead of a reality show where people sing for votes. C’mon now, “Tonight another idol must fall”?? Dramatic much? But I think perhaps my favorite part of this intro was the end of it when Ryan tried to transition from tape to show and several people in the audience giggled. Yes, giggling people. It is kind of ridiculous. But you know I love it. 🙂

A few observations/questions during the group song:

1.  Why is Aaron Kelly wearing a girl shirt? Is that pink paisley I see?
2.  Why is Casey James wearing two black arm bands? And with a plaid shirt? Is that really rock and roll?
3.  So glad to see Aaron’s got his hair issues ironed out now. Which is not to say his hair was straightened because not being a stylist I’m not sure what goes on back there at the hair/makeup station.
4. Aren’t these people supposed to be trying to compete to perform on stage professionally? Live? Why are they lip-synching these group songs? It’s frustrating. Who do they think they are? Ashley Simpson?
5. I think I’d like to own Tim’s jacket and Didi’s boots. That’s all.

Okay, Ryan. How much more time are we going to spend pointing out that the person that goes home this week is a total loser and misses the tour by thismuch? Do you have to rub it in? The poor kids are already nervous enough, and the true fans are starting to get a little annoyed at your condescending tone. Enough already!

More about Big Mike’s little baby? What about Crystal’s kid? Or Andrew’s? Favoritism much?

Ryan – her name is not SHAVAUGH. It’s SHABAHN (these are phonetic spellings, people). Also, your tricky, tricky tricks in how you reveal the results drive me CRAZY sometimes!

Result #1: PAIGE IS IN THE BOTTOM THREE and SO IS TIM [insert glee-worthy choreographed dance here].

Ryan just revealed that Usher will be next week’s mentor. Okay. I guess that’s cool, but this is my confession: I don’t think Usher can sing on key and dance at the same time (sidenote: just opened my 4th Internet Explorer tab…accidentally, of course). Every performance I’ve seen so far seems to indicate this truth. I’m using empirical data here. Verrrry scientific.

Results #2: Ryan returns to his teeny tiny table for the courage to give the next set of results. And Didi better be safe (and next time, she needs to not talk back so much…she was a little belligerent tonight, right?). Phew, she’s safe. Hey, is Kara paying the lighting guy a hefty amount to start basking her in a soft glow suitable for a soap opera? Or maybe it’s just the light reflecting off the dress…not sure. KATIE IS IN THE BOTTOM THREE (and just as quickly sent back to safety. She probably got whiplash from that move, Ry-Ry). Boy, America and I are, like, totally on the same page.

Quote of the night: In response to Ryan’s question, “Kara said no guitar and Simon said [he] loved the guitar. Who do you listen to if you make it through?” Crystal replied: “Me.” Love. it.

Ryan just said that after the break we’re going to hear from Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas after the break. What is this, the Disney channel? And holy ear monitors, batman! They actually sound pretty good, but the screaming preteen voices kind of take a little dignity out of it, eh? Oh, there was never any dignity in it and I should stop downloading “Make a Wave” from iTunes? Okay.

Final Results: We can really only win here, but I think we all know I’d like to see Paige make her exit. Cue dramatic music…and PAIGE IS OUTTA HERE!!!! If the judges save her, I’m going to throw something at the screen. Phew. Simon just put me out of my misery. Buh-bye, Paige. See ya. And you better believe I’m not listening to her performance again.

Haddock out!