|ali| I am not a maiden fair

So, The National Bureau of Economic Research has officially declared that the US has been in a recession since December 2007.. In other breaking news, the sky is blue and water is wet.

ANYWAY, in happier, distracting news, I've seen everyone do this awesome Flickr mosaic meme and I really wanted to join the sheep this meme around. Check it out and do it too!

The rules:

Answer each of the questions below the cut using the [Flickr] search engine.
02. Choose a photo from the first three pages.
03. Copy the URL of your favorite photos [here].
04. Then share with the world.

( Cut for prettiness, LARGE and not dial-up friendly prettiness )

See the pretty? Doesn't that make you want to do it too?

1) Spending the day with my best friend, eating an amazing meal of Cuban food with delectable goat cheese fritters in honey, platanos meduros, and garlic mojo, getting drunk on Sangria, and collapsing on the couch in front of bad TV movies and infomercials.
2) Buttercream Yankee Candles
3) The Office. Despite my lengthy misgivings about the last episode, the good always outweighs the bad, by far.
4) "Anna Begins" by Counting Crows(snaggable). I have no idea what exactly it is about the song but it does things to me, always has, always will.
5) The luxury of taking a deep breath and taste of his neck.
6) Deep, hard belly laughs until your face and sides ache and you're just grateful to be able to feel this.
7) My Uggs. Seriously, I'm still rather embarrassed that I own a pair, but in today's drop to 40 degree weather, they keep my toes toasted and comfortable. So, you know, mockers? Eat me ;)
8) The memory of how my dad used to tuck me in when I was sick. Comforter pulled over one shoulder only and a series of "tuck tuck tuck" all around into you were snug and safe and warm.
9) Starbucks Venti Black Iced Tea Lemonade (unsweetened, of course)
10) Today's gas prices(taken with my cell camera):

All I've eaten tonight are sunflower seeds. This is probably not a good thing, especially when mixed with alcohol.

Anyway, so, yeah, haven't done some good memes in some time, so I'm grabbing both the Name Meme and TMI meme and here's more information about me than you've probably ever wanted to know:

Meme #1: Name Meme

WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names)
Leigh Alan

NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad )
Felix Sidney

STAR WARS NAME: (the first 2 letters of your last name, first 4 letters of your first name)
Wialli

DETECTIVE NAME: (fav color, fav animal)
Green Dog

SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you live)
Sydney Airmont (Huh, that does sound vaguely dramatic and snobbish. And yep, my middle name is after my Dad's father)

SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav alcoholic drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Purple Jollyrancher (What would be my super power with a name like that? Making everything taste like grape?)

FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Alrs (Try saying that out loud. It messes with the tongue.)

GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie):
Vanilla Oatmeal Raisin (With a name like that, who would mess with me?)

PORN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on)
Sebastian Fawn (I actually think that's an awesome porn name or dirty romance novel author)

Meme #2: TMI Meme

( Frank sexual content ahead. Viewer discretion advised )

Having some free time between eyedrops and resting is making me want to chat about my old friend, TV. I've posted here and there about my enjoyment of certain shows (mostly The Office), but I thought, as a template, I'd post an update on my TV schedule that I posted here.

So! Here are my thoughts on my TV season so far. No spoilers beyond what has already aired so far.

SUNDAYS:

( True Blood )

( Dexter )

MONDAYS:

( Chuck )

( My Own Worst Enemy )

***And looking at that old TV post, I'm reminded again that dammit, i just keep forgetting to watch Samantha Who?. At this point, I'm guessing it aint gonna happen on my side. Ah well.

TUESDAYS

( House )

( Privileged )

*** Also, since I made the original TV post, I've ditched 90210 and Fringe completely, both for being so overwrought and yet boring at the same time.

WEDNESDAYS

( Pushing Daisies )

THURSDAYS

( The Office )

*** I gave Kath & Kim a try. It's awful. Just unfunny and awful and yeah. So, that's done with.

I'm still waiting on Big Love and Nip/Tick to return and though I'm so very glad to read positive reviews about this new season of Friday Night Lights, I'm either going to wait until it fully airs on DirectTV and download them all at once or wait for the NBC run. Time-wise and interest-wise, that's what will work best, though, again, good to read such positive things about it so far.

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So, that's Ali TV, what about you? Has the current TV season been doing more or less for you? What shows have been working and not working and why? Would you rec me anything to watch? Jump in, I always welcome all kinds of commentary. Also, it's distracting and I wouldn't mind some of that right about now :)

In the face of the Dow dropping 600 points and the attempts all over to figure out the best way to place a band-aid on a gunshot wound, somehow, SOMEHOW... I got myself a job.

And it's a real one. Not the freelancing work or anything like what I've been doing, though I'll still be doing that on the side, but one with at least a steadier schedule than I've had recently. I start Wednesday and am excited/anxious about the whole thing. It's basically doing some Public Relations writing and work, but I'll go into more detail after my first day and, you know, in a locked post. For now, I just wanted to put this one bit of positive out there in a time of great negativity. And I'm thinking I'll just ask for my paycheck in cash and just keep it in a deep hole in the backyard. Sound plan, yeah?

I'm TERRIBLY behind. Like ridiculously so. On LJ, on emails, on just basic communication with people outside of my immediate family. I can't actually give more of an excuse than life itself. I've missed birthdays and important posts, I know this and I can only apologize and hope that as I figure out this new schedule, I'll be able to find my balance with all this again.

I have much chatter I want to share, personal and, as always, entertainment. I didn't get a chance to review the premiere of The Office, but I will say that since Thursday, every time I got stressed, I rewatched this episode because it made me that happy. It flowed so well, especially for being one of the hour-longs, everyone got some great face time and in general, I just really enjoyed all the characters. The only storyline that is leaving me unhappy, honestly, is the triangle that is Dwagelandy, for many reasons. Ah well. We'll see. I definitely think this was a great beginning to the season and I loved how they worked the format and wished they did it like that every season premiere. On a couple shallow notes? Steve Carell kinda looked hot in his yoga gear, JKras has MUCH better hair this season and looked quite good, Angela was totally all baby because she is back to pixie size now, though she seemed to have gained the side effect to breastfeeding, hee, and Jenna Fischer looks gorgeous and I kinda think it's adorable how Pam is playing with her hair. I know, I know, but I've realized that Pam can actually STILL BE PAM with different hair, better clothing, AND a more positive outlook on life. Shocking, I know.

ANYWAY, I must go, as I am in the midst of holiday preparations. Tonight begins Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and I wanted to send some good wishes and say L'Shana Tova to my fellow Jews and wish them all a very sweet new year:



Enjoy your holiday, your family, and may this new year bring only happiness and success.

And hey, even if you aren't Jewish, I wish this day to be the beginning of something better, something sweeter, and please do dip some apples in the honey, it's definitely on the yummy side. *kisses*

I haven't chatted about PR this season here. This was both a time reason and really, a lack of enthusiasm. This season has been on the meh side for me. And so many seem super aware of their TV personalities.

Suede, seriously, you are not Elmo. Stop with the third person speak!

Anyway, last Wednesday, I was down near Bryant Park and lo and behold, I caught glimpse of three of our PR designers. Walking together down the street was Joe, Jerell, and Suede. And my BIL, who works near BP, texted my sister to tell her he saw the "chick with the big hair" aka Korto.

Now, no worries. These aren't spoilers. Because of the timing of Fashion Week in NY and PR, the 6 remaining contestants from last week all presented. There are spreads of all these designs everywhere, but in case you haven't seen them, I'll link you up:

Pictures

Jerell's Collection

Joe's Collection

Kenley's Collection

Korto's Collection

Leanne's Collection

Suede's Collection

However, I personally think that seeing pictures NEVER does the clothing justice and that video is a MUST. So! I also link you to Video of PR Collections, just scroll down, there are individual videos for each designer. So do check them out. Much better than just the pictures.

Now onto my thoughts as to who I think are the decoys and who I think may just win: ( Thankfully, no one looks to be pooping fabric this go around )

So...what do YOU think?

Oh, TV, you're coming BACK! And not the crap that already aired, but the stuff I like ;)

I kid, I kid, I know "One Tree Hill" is just really misunderstood and if only I could get the delicate intricacies of what Chad Michael Murray's hair is saying... Well, if only!

Usually, I review pilots in my fall lineup posts, but alas, the only pilots i saw early have already aired and each had been tweaked since the original leaked pilots, which was definitely beneficial for some ("True Blood"). So I will just give you,

Ali's Fall TV Lineup

As this is obviously more for me than for anyone else, I'll be cutting and breaking it down by days. There will be some commentary about shows in between, as it wouldn't be a post from me if I wasn't muttering something under my breath. I promise there are NO SPOILERS in the following, even for the shows I'm already ridiculously spoiled for. Hee.

KEY:

*** = Shows that I will watch no matter what. The other shows are just kinda filler :)
( ) = (network, premiere date, show time)

( Sundays )
( Mondays )
( Tuesdays )
( Wednesdays )
( Thursdays )

There is no Friday.

Once mid-season hits, I'll add more, like whatever bastardized version of "Scrubs" ABC puts out, as well as "Nip/Tuck", "Big Love", and "Friday Night Lights". I know FNL will be airing earlier on DirecTV(10/1, 9pm) and maybe I'll find some way to get the episodes in some other way. I'll see if I can resist until NBC airs the episodes, depending on if others are chatting about it on my FList and assure me it's better than the last and worth the time.

So, yeah. That wasn't overly elaborate or anything, right?

---

So...what about you? What will you be watching this TV season? Do we share any new fandoms or old fandoms that I don't know about? Is there anything you'd rec to me or are there missteps I've made here? Jump in, I always welcome all kinds of commentary.

Story time!

Little Orphan Charlie

txvoodoo posted these adorable pictures not too long ago and they are what I thought of when I heard this story:

The doctor my mother works for, his daughter lives out in Missouri. She and her husband were out driving on the highway and they saw that there was a deer on the side of the road, obviously having just been hit by a car. But what mostly drew their attention was the young Fawn at the deer's side. So, they pulled over and checked on the deer, who was sadly dead. Not knowing what to do, they called the cops, who then called animal control. When the animal control people came, they rechecked the lack of life in the Doe's body. The husband asked what happens to the Fawn now. The animal control guy said that unfortunately, protocol calls for euthenizing the orphaned fawns. The husband was horrified to hear this and begged the AC guy to let him take it home, take care of it, etc. That he'd pay the fine or whatever it would mean. After much hemming and hawing, the AC guy let him take the Fawn home.

When the doctor and is wife went out to Missouri to visit their daughter and family, this was several weeks after the above incident. They got there and they asked their granddaughter, H, where the deer was. So H grabbed her grandma's hand and led her to the open backyard. She cups her hands to her mouth and hollers, "CHAAAAARLIIIIIE". And after a couple a seconds, out from the woods comes a Fawn running up to H. With the fawn are their two dogs and after the fawn greets the new guests, he goes back to playing with the dogs in the yard. Once they brought that fawn home,he went on a diet of 8 bottles of Efamil a day and various fruits and such that he eats out of everyone's hands or a dish especially for him.

I'm going to leave the story there as that is as much as I know about Charlie himself. I hope in his future he is able to adapt to the wild again and make a family for himself. I will say this, though, when I read about the reasoning for euthenizing the orphaned fawns, as sad as that is, I understand why.

---

Christian the Lion

Speaking of humans raising animals, I'm sure ALL of you have seen the video about the guys who helped take care of a lion cub and then go back to visit him a year later, right?

The one I've seen elsewhere has the whole footage set to Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You", which you can see HERE.

However, I prefer the following version, because you get to see the longer footage after the above video cuts off. Honestly, just watch both. Hee. They'll warm your heart and your eyes. I am simply unashamed by the teariness I got in my eyes watching:



*sniffle*

Really, people are just never that cool.

I was never a huge fan of The X-Files. I mean, I enjoyed it, but I was never involved in fandom, I can only name maybe a handful of episodes(if that), and most of the inside jokes, I'll never ever get. I was more than a casual watcher, but less than a faithful watcher. There's probably a name for that. Hey, maybe it's just "fan".

Anyway, I say this beforehand because my review will just really be that of a movie-goer and I'm sure those who are more engaged in the fandom and the characters will have MUCH more insight.

Also, I haven't yet read anyone else's reviews yet, so if I'm repeating something, me and you, we're just like this :P

( Cut for spoilers )

Sorry for not posting these last night. Damn thunderstorms. I guess I should be grateful that I'm not complaining about hurricanes and tornadoes.

So yeah, I was right. It was good fun to bring back the Movie Cap Meme. I can't wait to do it again. I was really impressed with those that got the stumpers and surprised at the ones I thought were easy that only got one correct guess and some not even that. Well, let's get to it:

( Movie Cap Answers: 'You know what I like about you? And it's not your face, you're only medium cute.' )

*happy sigh* A good movie!spam is satisfying. Now, you do it too!

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ATTN July Babies: GBP

I think I may have to use eyesthatslay's GBP method. At least then I wouldn't feel guilt for being late to send the birthday wishes out there to you lovely people. So here it, July babies, heartfelt even if it's not exactly on time:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY annabelle528, amoonchilde, beingboring_(*misses you*), sandy_s, celesteavonne, eurydice72, calturner, downunderdeb, luna_k, and scarlettgirl!!!



Wishing all of you beautiful days and even better years ahead *hugs*

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And now I am off. I think I'm seeing the X-Files movie today, which I'm mentally preparing myself to just enjoy, no matter what. Hope all you big fans have a great time with it and I look forward to your reviews(looking at you, molly_may).

Okay, I had this whole rant written out about this overused, passive-aggressive, condescending form in which people like to critique things like movies, tv shows, music, etc, but I honestly don't have the energy for all of that. It boils down to this: You hated it? Good for you. You loved it? Good for you. Somewhere in between? Even better. Now how about you just own that and not worry about what others are loving/hating. Cause this inability to review something without bashing and attacking differing opinions? It's just tiresome.

SIGH.

Though, heh, it would be pretty hilarious if paid critics pulled shit like this. I can vaguely see Roeper being a petty little man like this, "OMG, did you see what that NY Times critic said? He totally didn't get that scene. What a moron. Last night, on the phone, Ebert and I were totally mocking this weird fangirly love he has for that actor. I mean, seriously, if he weren't so fucking blind with his penis lurve, he'd actually get that the scene was actually about..."

Hee.

---

Move Cap Meme

To combat this general irritation, I decided to bring back the Movie Cap Meme, which I haven't done since, heh, 2005? Wow. Been a while. But it was fun and I thought, hey, fun, we could all use a bit of that.

(I altered some of the rules for myself)
1. Pick 25 movies and choose one cap from each movie.
2. Post those caps in your LJ and screen all comments.
3. Have your friends guess which movies you chose. No need to get all titles.
4. Not sure how you'd cheat, but i changed all the links so there won't be any clue in the source. Sorry!

( Some are easy, some not so much. I look forward to the guesses! Warning: Obviously VERY image heavy. Probably not best for dialup )

Sorry about the quality of some of those. Most are good, but I think there are at least two that are smaller and grainier than I would've liked. Alas... So, yeah, guess away! The answers will be posted tomorrow.

The above remark came from Michael Savage, a radio host (aka another overcompensating shock jock) who stated during an interview that he did and still stands by even in light of some clearly pissed off parents who protested outside the station that broadcasts his show, demanding he be fired. I'm not saying he should be fired. Despite the fact that what he said was completely ignorant and plain ridiculous name-calling small children, setting the precedent that every single time someone says something that pisses you off should be fired is not a good precedent. Every person in the US has the freedom of speech and every person has the freedom to not listen. That said, the station also has the freedom to not broadcast his show any longer, like what happened with Don Imus. He still has a show, he wasn't silenced, that's just business.

Autism was misdiagnosed and dismissed for years for those very reasons that Savage carelessly threw out. That the behavior these children were displaying were just bratty children acting out and clearly those parents were just not doing the right kind of discipline. And that child that doesn't want to hug or accept affection, clearly the mother was cold to her child when he/she was small. And that child that doesn't pay attention or doesn't focus, again, discipline. And these were the high-functioning children. Those who were lower were the general term "retarded" or had extreme behavior problems that there was no treatment for, just institutions.

Thankfully, now, there is better understanding of Autism. This "epidemic" of Autism, IMO, is not an epidemic. It's doctors being more informed and children getting the proper diagnosis. It's parents being more aware and having their children tested. It's spotlighting the disease and all its layers and not just the "Rain Man". I mentioned to one of the doctors I worked for, off-handedly, about how Autism is more prevalent in boys than girls, a 2:1 ratio actually. This isn't something one needs to really research. This is something well known about Autism and she didn't know this. She's a pediatrician. This is why parents/guardians need to be their children's advocates. Not that all pediatricians are as uninformed as the doctor I worked for(for the record, she was an idiot and I wouldn't entrust any child in her care), but what I mean is to trust your instincts as the parent and don't wait for the pediatrician to diagnose something. If you are concerned with language development, physical development, behavior, whatever, get in touch with Early Intervention(EI) and just get him/her checked out. If it will give you peace of mind, do it. In the end, you know best.

Do I think Autism is being over-diagnosed? Not necessarily. The Autistic spectrum is long and winding. Almost anyone could be on this spectrum, your boss, your best friend, and maybe you'd never know, because it isn't obvious. Because getting a diagnosis of Autism is not an excuse to act like a "brat". Because yelling at a child who is banging his/her against a wall and telling him to, and I quote Savage here, "Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot” does SHIT, even for a child that doesn't have Autism. Savage acts like every child who is diagnosed with Autism is from then on going to be treated like a delicate flower, always falling back on the excuse, "Well, he/she is autistic, so, he/she can't do that." That maybe parents want to seek out this diagnosis so that their child has an excuse for his/her behavior, that the parent does.

Now, I can only go by my own experiences, but I've not met one parent that was pleased to get their child diagnosed and the children I DID see were not sitting on pillows being fanned with feathers. They were working. Their parents were working. Autism is hard. It's not a happy blanket to live under. It can be stigmatizing, it can be debilitating to families, and some don't even survive it. Autism is not imaginary. And to have uninformed asshole throw out this shit because "there is no definitive medical diagnosis for autism". No, there isn't. Because it's finally fucking being paid attention to and it doesn't have enough research. The symptoms are fucking real. Have they found a direct cause? Nope. Because Autism is not a definitive disease. Not all diseases exist in black and white and are found in a fucking blood count. This does not mean it doesn't exist. This doesn't mean that "99% of the cases" are just children who, again, I quote, "don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life." Wow, you must've been an awesome father.

Mr. Savage, thank you. I mean, seriously, the speech pathologists, behavioral therapists, occupational therapists, feeding specialists, doctors, and researchers they all thank you for letting them know they are wasting their time and money. Oh! And the loved ones of these children with Autism also thank you for letting them know that a good kick in the ass is all that kid needs and the rest of that "treatment" is just bullshit. Really, just thank you for enlightening us all.


**For 6 years, I worked with children with Autism. I am not an expert, I am not a doctor, and I hope I'm not making myself out to be one. I'm just a pissed off advocate that can't stand bullshit like this and the almost constant stream of misinformation about Autism that's out there (i'm looking at you too, Miss McCarthy). I give all due credit to the families and children who have inspired me then and now.

I gotta say, it's a good time to be a geek. What with Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible online musical debuting a couple days back, The Dark Knight premiering this week, The Watchmen gracing EW's cover and its official trailer circling the web, and The X-Files movie coming out next week, honestly, we must all embrace our geekdom because it really seems to be reaching out to us with open arms.

The problem with The Dark Knight is that was media saturated to the point of dripping and hyped so much, probably before but most certainly after Heath Ledger's death. Now, I love Batman. I will always have a special place for Tim Burton's bastardization because that was how I was first introduced. No, not just to Batman, but to the Joker. At 8 years old, I became obsessed with the Joker. I obsessively listened to Prince's song from the movie on the tape player in the living room just so I could hear the famous laugh, as well as the most quotable lines, "This town needs an enema" and "Wait til they get a load of me." In my art class, we had to create characters or people out of half an egg carton and I created the Joker, which was then chosen and still hangs in the central school district building. And for Halloween, it was a no-brainer as to who I'd be.

So, when I first leaned Ledger was cast, hell even back when Batman Begins ended with the Joker card, I was worried. Who could fill Jack Nicholson's shoes and smile? I mean, I guessed Ledger had the grin, but dammit, why did they have to redo THIS character? Then there was all the internet hype that led to all the Jokerized icons we've seen all over LJ. We saw all those images and that certainly wasn't the Joker of old. Again, I was worried and already set myself up for disappointment. And after Ledger died, the part became more infamous. This was his last completed role. According to Nicholson, he warned Ledger about the effects of playing the Joker, which, heh, remains such a classy epitaph. That aside, though, I think it was peopleareshapes who said in her intial reaction to TDK that she had thought that going into the movie, due to all the rumors surrounding Ledger and this part, would we just see Ledger up onscreen the whole time, looking for-- as all the gossip mags, rags, and sites will undoubtedly be doing--signs?

Short answer: No fucking way.

( My thoughts on 'The Dark Knight'--No real spoilers )

Back to the enumerated life posts:

1. Disappearing posts: Um, no idea where my blueberry cobbler recipe request post went. It disappeared. I wrote to LJ because I didn't delete it and they said others had complained that there was some kind of glitch or something? That's reassuring. ANYWAY, I didn't get to respond, but I wanted to thank teragramm and petzipellepingo for your recipes which are happily still sitting in my inbox.

2. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: Um, in case you live under a rock, Joss Whedon's new project debuted with the first act, which you can check out HERE. And hey, lookie, HERE is Act II!. If you are curious about what the hell all of this, please check out Joss' Master Plan, which explains in his own unique way what we are in store for. I've commented in other LJs w/ my reaction to Act I, but just to add to my own LJ that I really enjoyed it. I thought it was plain adorable and had very obvious Joss elements that any fan of his work could easily highlight. I loved Nathan Fillion's entrance and he just has the perfect pompousness and bulging chest for the part. Felicia Day is sweet and refreshingly sans the godawful accent she sported on BtVS, though so far her voice is almost too soft, even for the mousiness she is supposed to be portraying. But the true AWESOMENESS in this whole project comes in the form of one Neil Patrick Harris. He's perfect for the part and his voice makes me wish I had seen him when he was in RENT. He has the right amount of dorkiness and his own brand of overcompensating pompousness as he tries to prove how big bad he can be. And as someone who REALLY dislikes "How I Met Your Mother" (*gasp*horror*I know), it's kinda awesome to be able to enjoy NPH without the constraints of that show. I look forward to where he may go in the future. And I look forward to seeing them all in the rest of this incredibly fun detour courtesy of Joss.

Oh, and though I consider myself completely TWoP-free for several months now, I did stick my toe in there to read their Act I recap: READ HERE

ETA: ( Reactions to Act II: 'The Hammer is my Penis' )

3. My "Free Katie" Button May Have a Friend Soon: Because I totally need this FREE RYAN t-shirt. No, really, I do.

4. In other Office news...: Looks like "The Office" spinoff is dead!!!. I'm not ashamed to say that my first reaction was "WOOHOO!". I realize that no one from the original was going to leave or even that they were trying to make a true spinoff, but the tone was going to be similar and I just didn't understand the need of two office shows with similar tone on the same network. How would that be good for anyone but the greedy greedy execs?

That said, Daniels and Schur are still developing a new series (one apparently starring Amy Poehler, whom I personally find much better in small increments and cannot imagine a show centered around. Um...at least it's not Rashida Jones?) and those in "The Office" audience should still prepare themselves for the effect of the main creators'/producers' attentions splitting and drifting to their new baby. Something most in the Buffy/Angel fandoms can attest to. Not that I don't trust in the capable hands of Team Lieberstein/Celotta, but still. I'm remain unthrilled despite this news.

5. Bon Jovi Concert: So Tuesday night was the concert at MSG. We drove in because the trains out of the city are not the most reliable at night. So, yeah, my sister drove and yeah, we had her old beloved albums blasting from the speakers, rocking out down the West Side Highway in her mini van. Heeeeeeee. I just love that image. But hey, this is who Bon Jovi's fanbase has become and he seems to embrace it, so yeah. Nothing wrong with rockin' the mini van :P

( In short, the concert was awesome )

( Crappy Camera Phone Pics from the Concert )

( And what's a concert post wtihout some music? Here be 12 Bon Jovi MP3s up for snagging! )

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Sorry I haven't replied to comments on my last post(and heh, the one before my last one was deleted). Also all behind on all of your posts. Since coming home, there hasn't been a whole lot of free time. But I'm working on it and that's about all I can do, my dears. Hope all are well! *smooches*

Home again!

I came home last night, leaving the beautiful Seattle weather of high 70s and breezy in the afternoon to the muggy air of Newark, NJ, humid 70s in the late evening. I swear, I'm going through withdrawal...in a lot of ways.

I had an amazing time. A truly truly amazing time. And it's funny, because though I could probably do a detailed account of what I did per day, I feel like marking it all out like that just steals away some of the specialness of it...if that makes any sense. And maybe doing so also kinda finalizes that vacation time is over.

( I WILL give an overview, though. So yeah, 7 days in Seattle and other parts of WA, in summary )
What's amusing is that is the summarized version of my trip. Can you imagine the detailed version? Hee.

Anyway, so yes, it was a great trip, despite the fact that the bastards at Continental decided to play "27 Dresses" on my flight there and "Fool's Gold" on my flight back. "Definitely, Maybe" and "Penelope" were also shown and were much less abusive to all my senses, thankfully, but still!

I skimmed some of my FList when I was gone, but I'm clearly behind and I'm not sure if I'll be able to catch up. So please do link me to any important/amusing/pornographic posts that you've made that I may have missed. I hope all of you are well and that you've had a good last 7 days.

And before I go off to do the post-vacation unpacking and laundering, in honor of riverminded and of course, dear little C, I leave this song. "A egg" sends her love and tickles across!

"Goodbye Alice in Wonderland", Jewel
[DOWNLOAD ME]
Growing up is not an absence of dreaming
It's being able to understand the difference between the ones you can hold
and the ones that you've been sold
And Dreaming is a good thing cause it brings new things to life
But pretending is an ending that perpetuates a lie, forgetting what you are
Seeing for what you've been told

So here's a life update, but in numbered format. Consider it kind of like a Ali's Top 10 Current Randomness, yeah?

1. TRAVEL PLANS: So, this Tuesday, I'll be whisking my way across to country to see my dear dear riverminded in Seattle. I'm beyond excited about these plans, to see my friend, to see her family(one of whom I've never even met yet!), to go back to a place that I thought was just gorgeous and wonderful, and really, just to get away from life for a short while. I'm leaving July 1st and coming home July 8th. Whee! This break has been a long time coming and I can't wait to rest my brain some.

2. CONCERTS: I know I mentioned in a major squee post that I'll be going to see Counting Crows for the first time at the end of July(!!!), but I forgot to mention that I'm also going to see Bon Jovi in mid-July too! It's actually a birthday present for my sister. I went with her the last time she saw him. Lauren ADORES the band, adores Jon, and hee, i remember when they sang "Never Say Goodbye" at the last concert, she was waving her hands in the air to the beat and like, crying. It amused me. It will be a girls night this time. Lauren is bringing her friend Sarah and I'm bringing my friend Marisa. I'm not really a fan of Bon Jovi's newest album, but I'll look forward to the classics :P

3. CELEBRITY SITINGS: Since the end of May, it's been like non-stop. Maybe the warm weather is bringing them all out. One weekend that the_adman was visiitng and we were staying at his friend's place on the Upper East Side (which is ginormous and has a fucking wraparound deck on the top floor--yeah, he comes from money), we kept a tally on the_adman's blackberry as to who we saw. It amused me so that it just became a thing that no matter where we went, we were jotting someone new down. None of them were vast encounters or anything, just a glimpse that was only acknowledged by us elbowing one another subtley, because hello, New Yorker here. I don't do starstruck, hee ;) I was really on the look-out for the Krasinski, but alas, no beard in sight. ( Click for the sitings )

4. MOVIES: I continue my goal of "100 Movies in 2008". So far I'm 63/100, which I think is pretty darn good. You can check out my quickie reviews of the films HERE and HERE. Looking over that list so far, man, I've seen some truly truly embarrassing. Man... But there are some really wonderful ones too. Check 'em out.

5. TEA: I love all kinds of tea (okay, except chamomile) and have recently been enjoying Green Tea with Mango very much. But I must admit, as far as "regular" tea goes, I still have leanings toward Rose Red tea. I mean, sure, that's the tea I remember growing up with and all, but I really think it's the tiny little ceramic figurine you get with each box. I just got a polar bear *pets it*

6. TATTOOS: I've been obsessively thinking about tattoos as of late. Ideas for what they could be, ideas for where they could be. Since I'm very particular about where they can be located(hidden areas only), I may be running out of room and I don't want my body to look...cluttered? I still want to get the one I've been planning forever that you can see HERE (it's art by inxsomniax that she has permitted me to use), which I plan to place on the back of my right shoulder. I'm a bit concerned with how expensive it's going to be. Other ideas involve possibly just having the text "as is" placed at my hairline or behind my ear. Another idea is to create a kind of story on my lower back where I already have a series of ladybugs. Adding a tree beside it (something like this), but with my own text (probably "What doesn't bend breaks") and possibly adding a small ladybug on a branch to make some kind of continuity or something. I'm not sure. But I do like the idea of a kind of story telling connectivity on my lower back. Really, I just want awesome work like evenstar_estel :)

7. DESTRUCTIVE DOGGIE: This is ( Whedon )

This is what Whedon does to his toys:

( Before Whedon )
( After Whedon )

Now I've clearly given up on all plastic and furry toys. Those last for maybe an hour before he tears a hole in them and are just a waste of money. He really has no interest in Kong toys(besides the Wubba), he's not too fond of pull toys, string bones are also destroyed quickly, and you can't really play with the rawhides he chews on. I feel like such a bad doggie!mommy because he lacks toys, but I keep telling him that if he weren't so intent on destroying every toy I give him(and seriously, he lays down with the new toys and just focuses all attention on destruction), he'd actually have many more toys. So, advice? Is Whedon forever stuck with just tennis balls and rawhides?

8. JODI PICOULT: I've now read three books by this author and I've decided she's the M Night Shyamalan of the literary world. She's all about the OMG!TWIST!ENDING and usually there's some very heavy handed moralizing involved. I'm pretty sure I'm done with her at this point, because even with her penchant for making a twist ending NO MATTER WHAT aside, I don't actually enjoy her prose or characterization. And the plotting (and characters) in all her stories are pretty similar as well, as if she keeps needing to tell the same story again and again. I wish Shyamalan luck though. I do think he's a talented guy but has gotten so caught up in his own hype and his own narrative, he's lost focus. That said, thank fuck I didn't pay money to see "The Happening".

9. JENNA FISCHER: I continue to crush on this woman a ridiculous amount and I've been so pleased with her fashion as of late, as well (she's actually wearing colors!). My favorites being these. She has said that in her vacation time before The Office begins filming again, she's going to lounge and workout the way she hasn't been able to since her accident. And it certainly shows. I also want to rec this NPR interview that she did not too long ago. She really is so well spoken and interesting.

Finally, though I'm not huge on fanvids, I really thought this homage to Pam Beesly/JF and how "lovely" and awesome she is was really well done and so fun and I've been meaning to post it forever. There is a Jim/Pam leaning to the video, but if you love Pam, it's worth a watch no matter what:

( YouTube Video behind cut )

*adores*

10. ROUND-UP:

May/June Birthdays: Birthday Wishes waiting for you here! (in case you missed it)

Major Gratuitous!Niece!Spam Post Here! (in case you missed it)

Hair Drama Update:</u> All better. I DID end up going back to the same salon, they fixed it for free, and I am a MUCH happier girl. Yay!

And there ya go.

Off now, must get to packing and cleaning and all that good stuff. *smooches*

I had this typed up last night, but my ever inconsistent connection wouldn't cooperate and I've been out all day. Maybe it's all been said at this point, but I did want to get my feelings out there before I officially seal this off and tuck it away.

( I feel like I've been planning my own concession speech for a while now )

I don't want to jinx it all but I really think I'm finally on the mend. I've been sans sunglasses most of the time, been able to be on the computer and go out without much sensitivity, and though I haven't driven yet, it's more due to my own fear/precautions that my eye will suddenly regress and like, explode mid-drive.

Taking advantage of my better health, I finally went to see Indiana Jones with my dad today. I'd read the mediocre reviews and though I was going in with already low expectations, I made a conscience effort to lower them even further. I was going to see this, no matter what, I knew that. I'm a fan of the series and just like how I feel about the Batman movies and the upcoming X-Files movie, even if it's a giant turd, I'm gonna go see it because I want to see how the franchise develops, up or down. And, you know, to basically see what new actors/directors/writers will do to my childhood. And considering there hasn't been a new Indy since I'm 8-years old, I was very curious going into it.

( Spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull )

( Cut for spoilers )

Til Season 5, my Office friends.

Good on you, California. Good on you.

If you weren't a 6 hr plane ride away from my family and most of my friends, threatened at any time by earthquakes, and if I weren't a total East Coaster completely confused by the easy living W. Coast attitude, my bags would be packed. Alas, we weren't meant to be. But color me jealous and incredible proud *high fives*




P.S. My internet has been so iffy(wtf, cablevision?), but I've really been keeping up on my FList or at least, been trying my darnedest. I have had this random post gathering randomness in my Semagic, so hopefully one day soon, I'll be able to post it.

P.P.S Did you miss my 43 Songed Music Dump??? Get over there before the links expire.

P.P.S OMG!HOUR!LONG!OFFICE!FINALE!TONIGHT!!!!!! *ahem* Not that I'm excited or anything...