the momentum is gone

Oh no! I was doing so good this morning. I went shopping, did laundry, cleaned out my car, and then washed my car. But as I slowed down to enjoy a late lunch, that's when it all ended. My squishy behind has felt it's counterpart, my lumpy couch (good thing those adjectives aren't switched!) and now, it promises not to move for anything less than an apocalypse.

For some reason, the question, "If you were an animal, what would you be?" seems to come up a lot in my life. Another variation includes, "What is your favorite animal?" And no, I am not in 2nd grade. Blame it on lame icebreakers and those discussion classes where the group is small enough and the teacher feels the need to do some ice breaking so everyone can get super close and bond over the course of the quarter.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, well, I've started to enjoy answering by saying "I would be a black stallion" in a really cool and sublime way. Because I'm wild, and free, and beautiful, duh. On days like this, though, I think a sloth is a more appropriate animal. Days like this, being most days. On my good days, I'm maybe a turtle. I'm mellow, with a hard outer shell, and kind of snappy. But that doesn't make for quite as good of an impression.

Have you ever noticed how in those classes there's always the same type of people? There's that super unique girl that says she's a platypus, thus cementing how unique she is. That guy who sits in the back and slouches in his chair and says in a tone of complete boredom that he's something awesome like a lion or cheetah, when clearly he is not. There's that really nice, cute but forgettable type of girl that says she's a dog. And then there's that slightly overweight dorky Asian guy who says he's a panda, sometimes said with a laugh if he thinks he's one of the funny slightly overweight dorky Asians.

And now that I have effectively wasted time writing this, I think I'll go back to doing nothing. Me FTW!

at her feet was a footloose man

I must admit, I'm pretty addicted to Glee. Just in time for the hiatus until April. Woo!

I haven't done this in a while...

The Good: Although the first episode felt like some strange mixture of High School Musical and the movie Election, it was also pretty much brilliant. Somehow it managed to hit all the right notes (a pun!) and it was sweet, funny, and damn entertaining. While the rest of the season never quite reached that peak, it sometimes came pretty close. And always, even though they are obviously lip syncing, the song and dance numbers are fun! And the MVP of the series, Sue Sylvester, never fails to be awesome. I can't wait to ride that train next spring; destination: HORROR!

The Bad: Honestly, the characters are pretty blah. Not that they don't have personality, but even the likable ones aren't really people that endear themselves to you. Rachel's the lead character, yet most episodes you just kind of hate her. Will's kind of annoying. Kurt has troubles being gay, but sometimes he's just a bitch. There's Sue, but she's more of the love-to-hate variety. Eveyone's sort of two dimensional, and some characters, like The Other Asian, don't even have lines. I love Glee, but if the show never came back, I wouldn't really care about what ever happened to these characters. All I'd miss was snazzy renditions of catchy songs.

The Ugly: The writing is so all over the place it gives me whiplash. Stupid story lines about fake babies and yearbook defacing... it doesn't go as far as complete satire, yet it's not a realistic show in any way. Sue is a cold-hearted villain who enjoys kicking a person when he's down, yet she has enough empathy to visit her mentally challenged sister every week? I'm just really really confused with what type of show this is. The plots seem to almost act as draping for an excuse to break out in song and dance every week. See if this seems familiar:

Will walks in rehearsal room

Will: Hey kids! I have a new number for us to practice! This is because (it's a new category for competition, Artie's in a wheel chair, we need more hair in our numbers, etc.), so let's get started! Rachel you are the lead!

Rachel smiles HUGELY.
Kurt rolls his eyes.
Mercedes shoots her the death glare.
Finn tries to figure out what the word "practice" means.
Quinn pouts.

The singing starts and all the "kids" get into it!

Will: That was great guys! We're going to blow them away at sectionals!

Kids cheer!

Sue walks in

Sue: You look like a lesbian, Will. My Cheerios RULE ALL! I'm going to destroy your little Glee club. MWAHAHAHA.

Will looks angry.

END SCENE

Does it seem familiar? That's because it happens EVERY SINGLE EPISODE.

In conclusion, I'm such a sucker for cheesy musical numbers and get easily sucked into teen dramas. And I'm proud of it!

it's december!

I really enjoyed the gloomy weather today. Although I guess "gloomy" is a word that doesn't do it justice. The sky looked like it was covered with a million little cotton balls, and the trees swayed slowly in the cold December air reaching out to unseen memories in the years of their life that got them to stand so tall. It made me nostalgic for simpler times, for who takes the time to stare up at the sky anymore? Who wonders how old a tree is?

I looked out my window today for quite a while. I felt like I was staring at the essence of beauty.

on happiness

In our quest for ultimate happiness in the form of complete satisfaction, are we just setting ourselves up for disappointment?

The more books that are written for self-empowerment, instructions on how to be Happy, and those on achieving some sort of modern American dream, the more unhappy we all seem to be. It's like people have begun to expect to be happy all the time... and any signs of depression just means you need medical attention.

There's so much focus on self-fulfillment, and messages on how to live The Good Life. I seriously hate watching movies or shows about the 1960s (I'm looking at you, Mad Men and Revolutionary Road), that seem to exist only to point out how desperately sad and caged in everyone was back then. "Thank GOD for all the freedom we have now! WHO wants to live in the SUBURBS?!" the shows yell at you as they blow smoke in your face. "Be selfish, and be directionless, I mean SPONTANEOUS, and BE HAPPY!"

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with wanting it all. It's just that people need to remember that Happiness isn't a goal. It's just an emotion. There's a reason we feel it all-- good and bad.

...But anyway, I'm starting to feel super preachy, so I'll end with something that will hopefully make you... a little happy! =)




Now, aren't you happy you're not in a love triangle with a lazy-eyed girl who's careless with her epileptic dog? Win!

time flies...

Time is something you seem to lose sense of, even when it’s staring you right in the face. The older we get, the faster it seems to go, when really, it’s one of the few stable things in life. Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

A lot of people say timing is everything. I tend to think that’s true only because people let it. Sometimes the most inconvenient timing of something amazing can still be amazing if you’re willing to inconvenience yourself a little. So take a chance, because that perfect moment, where all the stars align, and all the fates come together… well… who has time to wait for that?

sigh...

For some reason I’m in a Wicked mood. The Broadway musical, not the British kind. I don’t know what it is about listening to old songs, whether it’s from a few years ago or a few decades ago, but I find is really comforting. It’s familiar, and brings back feelings and memories. I like that.

Sometimes I feel like all I do is wish for the past, or wait for the future. The present always just seems like a waste of time.

Bah Humbug

I know it’s only Halloween, but it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas to me! Last year I had this problem of lacking any holiday cheer, right up until Christmas Eve. I got some of that last minute holly and mistletoe spirit in me by watching It’s A Wonderful Life on TV. I also got some of that spirit by drinking… well… spirits.

Oh, I kid.

Anyway, the point is, can it be Christmas time already? I know in a month I’ll be overwhelmed with saccharine songs and images of jolly fat men, but right now I’d love the smell of pine needles and ginger snaps.

Last year I worked in a store-that-shall-not-be-named, and the good cheer we had to keep circulating in the air is probably what sapped me of any Christmas joy. The store had one CD of Christmas songs that it would play over and over and over and over again. One CD. That’s like 15 songs. All day long. Paired with the incessant consumerism and dealings with frazzled housewives, I pretty much wanted to throw up all over Christmas and yell “Take that! How do YOU like it?!”

I miss the old days of listening to the Muppets sing Christmas songs from the cassette player in the car. I miss the presents being endless and big under a real tree I went with my family to pick out two weeks before. I miss hanging a wreath outside my door and poinsettias on the dining room table. I miss stockings and hot chocolate and movies starring Tim Allen. Maybe some of that I still have, but now the magic feels as faded as the memories.

Yet I still anticipate this season’s arrival, because despite its inevitable let down, being a Scrooge in December is more fun that being a Scrooge in July.