Surprise!

I am usually such a stickler for saving all things Christmas until after Thanksgiving. So when my mom asked if I'd rather have an early Christmas 'surprise' or wait until Christmas Day and unwrap something from a box, I didn't really have an answer for her. What was this surprise? And why did it have to take place before Thanksgiving? I was really in the dark about the whole thing. I had no clue what my surprise was going to be, but I guess that's the point of a surprise, right?
My mom told me what to wear, and that we were leaving about half an hour after I got home from work on Friday. We drove to Fresno and arrived at the theatre where we had seen Wicked about a year and a half ago. But there weren't any signs outside the theatre. By the time Mom gave the tickets to the guy at the door...I still had no idea what was going on. It wasn't until we walked past a Merch table selling copies of Some Lessons Learned and Let Yourself Go that I realized that we were at a KRISTIN CHENOWETH CONCERT!!! At that point I started crying a little bit. How is it possible that a) I didn't know that Cheno was performing in Fresno, and b) I would be seeing Ms. Chenoweth perform live for the second time!!
Everything about the concert was amazing. She sang a little bit of everything, a couple of her Glee songs, some country, some jazzy, vocally stuff, Popular from Wicked (in English, Japanese and German), of course she did Taylor, the Latte Boy...and then she blew the roof off the theatre with Bring Him Home from Les Miserables...and I cried for the second time that night. She encored with I Will Always Love You, and I never wanted her to stop singing!

Confessions of a TV-Addict (Season Finales, now what?)

The Curse was broken. Karen confessed. Robin is the bide. Ivy didn't get the part. Rachel went to New York. Nick moved back. Jimmy got Hope. Gloria is pregnant. Victoria is dead. Kragen woke up with a dead hooker in his bed. Wolowitz got married. Jack and Avery got divorced. Andy got his job back. And that is where the writers of the 12 season finales and the 1 series finale (Desperate Housewives) decided to end things.

I watch a lot of TV and I am currently sucked in to 12 different serieses ranging from Glee to Law & Order:SVU, from Once Upon A Time to Modern Family...the list goes on.
I know that TV turns your brain to mush. I know that is makes you more dumber. I also know that I mostly don't care...plus, I watch Jeopardy, so that's got to count for something. I've also found a way to use my TV watching for good. I use commercial breaks as work-out breaks. It's a really good plan. Even my grandma noticed the difference my TV-routine has made. (For the record, that was my 'mean' grandma).

But now I'm afraid. Now that my shows are done until the fall, I'm afraid of falling out of my fitness routine. I need new shows to feed my work-out habit and my TV addiction.

Chick Flicks and Disney Heroes!

This weekend I had a good old fashioned slumber party with some friends! We ended up watching Love, Actually (which is one chick flick I actually love!) and I really do feel like I should share the following paraphrased conversation...

KM: Wow, I never noticed before, but that guy is like the real-life version of Aladdin, maybe that's why I've always thought he was cute...because I love Aladdin!!

H: Oh my gosh, you're right...he is totally Aladdin!!

L: Aladdin is really cute for a cartoon character...but is it weird that the cartoon I always had a crush on was Robin Hood?

K: Yeah...I can see that!

H: Wait...wasn't he a fox?

L: Yeah he was!

(Then K high-fives L for her awesome taste in cartoon crushes!)

Then after much giggling and talking about boys we went to sleep.

After we woke up, lounged in jammies and finally got ready for the day we ended up going to see New Years Eve (aka the movie that every actor EVER has a part in)

It was pretty cute...the only part I really didn't like was the part where the rude teenagers sitting next to us were talking and not even trying to whisper.

One of my favorite actors, Matthew Broderick, had a tiny little cameo...which was made even better by the fact that his character's name was 'Mr. Buellerton'!!! Lea Michele (Glee) sang her little tush off, Ashton Kutcher played a version of himself, and there was a plot twist that I almost didn't see coming...

And the best part: Zefron!! I don't care how old I get, Zac Efron will always be dreamy!!

Too Stinkin' Cute

It's New Directions as toddlers...

***
And in nerdalert news I am now the proud owner of a ticket for the 12:05 showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and I'm super excited!!

LA forgot what 'seasons' are...

When I think of crisp autumn weather, this is almost the exact image that pops in my head: I feel such wardrobe-envy for Emma's clothes, and this coat specifically makes me yearn for real autumn. Not this stupid Southern California crap we're going through now.

It's very disorienting to be snacking on Halloween candy and then see Christmas decorations in stores. Especially since that was last week. But I was strolling through Target this morning to get my Airbourne and my cough drops (I blame the Santa Ana winds) and I hear Christmas music and see festive decorations throughout the store. Had I not been wearing short sleeves, I would have gotten so excited. Then I stepped out into the 87 degree weather. Make up your mind, Ventura County...First off, we're being a little hasty here. Christmas is nearly two months away, and we should probably tackle Thanksgiving before we break out the snowman figurines. And then there is the conundrum I have come across in SoCal Christmases past...how I am supposed to feel all holly and jolly when I'm wearing capri pants and flip-flops? I would almost prefer a foggy Christmas season to a warm one...this is just plain ridiculous...

Also, I did my civic duty and voted...like two days ago with my absentee ballot. I'm just ready for this election to be over, I feel like we've been dealing with these campaign commercials for too long. I am so tired of these politicians acting like kids. The self-promotional ads I don't have much of a problem with...it's all the mud-slinging that's been going down between the candidates that makes me not one to vote for anyone because of it.
I also find it odd that Carly Fiorina's name sounds so similar to 'California'...in fact, I find it slightly suspicious

Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching

This is tough...since I feel like the current shows I watch are pretty darn popular (Glee, L&O:SVU, Desperate Housewives-don't judge-, 30 Rock and The Office)
Two years ago I would have had the perfect answer for this...Pushing Daisies, of course.
Even though it's canceled, I still think more people should watch it. Seriously, I can't say enough amazing things about this show, it is my absolute favorite ever ever EVER!!The cast and characters are just so much fun!
Lee Pace is Ned, the piemaker with the ability to bring people back to life with a single touch.
Anna Friel is Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles, the alive-again girlfriend of the piemaker.
Kristin Chenoweth is Olive Snook, a waitress at the Pie Hole who is in love with Ned
Chi McBride is Emerson Cod, a detective who uses Ned's 'gift' to solve murder cases
Swoozie Kurtz and Ellen Greene are Aunt Lily and Aunt Vivian, formerly the synchronized swimming duo 'Darling Mermaid Darlings'; currently agoraphobic...

Okay, I promise I'll lay off PD for a while, or at least I'll try...

Sharing is Caring

I'm going to start what is sure to be a pretty frivolous post with something somewhat deep...no one owns anything. Sure you can buy things, or have things, or even find things, but there is nothing in this world that anyone can claim sole ownership of.
And now, I rant.
People who like musicians that are 'on the verge' of discovery, or artists that have managed to stay under the radar tend to get very possessive of "their" findings. You may appreciate a certain actor/singer/whatever that not many have heard of yet, but that doesn't mean you're the only one allowed to be a fan. I recently read an article and a corresponding comment that has spurred this post.
The article was brief, but stated that Darren Criss will be joining the cast of 'Glee'. Darren Criss is probably most 'famous' for playing Harry Potter in the fan-based, YouTube broadcasts of 'A Very Potter Musical' and 'A Very Potter Sequel'. Both are hilarious and I highly recommend them to fans of Harry Potter and/or humor! He has also released a five song EP called 'Human'. It will be interesting to see how his voice translates into Glee, but he's a good singer, so I imagine he'll do well. He wrote most of the songs in AVPM and AVPS, so he's pretty talented and in being so, has quite a few fans. Not nearly as many fans as the internationally renowned Glee, however. Which brings me to the comment I read attached to this article. The gist was basically that this person seemed to think that they (and perhaps a select few others) were the only ones allowed to like Darren Criss because they already know who he is. The word 'disappointed' was mentioned. Disappointment in Darren for choosing to come out of obscurity to make his dreams of being famous come true, perhaps? Yes, I realize the more well-known a musician is the more he or she can charge for concert tickets, which can be a bummer. A concert for some unknown singer/songwriter in a dingy club can cost as little as a $5 cover, whereas someone who has established a name for themselves can play huge arenas for upwards of $50. Heck, Elton John sold out the Hollywood Palladium, and those tickets started at around $200!! But, just because you're a fan of someone doesn't mean that their talent shouldn't be shared with others. So dear anonymous commenter, you do not own Darren Criss. He is a very talented guy and I think the world deserves to experience what he has to offer. I'm sorry you 'do not approve', but unless you are Darren's agent, I'm guessing your opinion had very little weight in this situation.
That's all.

I'm tired

...but not sleepy.
This has been a re-occuring problem for some time now. Part of it is work stress, I'm sure. I can't seem to stop thinking at night. I lie in my bed, listen to my fan and think. I think about things that I can't control, especially not at 1 o'clock in the morning. If I could take my brain out at night, that might help. Other than that, I don't know how to fix this problem. Two nights ago, I was in this same position. In my comfortable bed in my comfortable pajamas with my white noise at a very comfortable level and my comfortably dark, cool room. The conditions couldn't have been more conducive to a good night's sleep. But I couldn't get sleepy. So I decided to get up (at 2 am) make myself a cup of chamomile tea and watch Glee on DVD...I fell asleep on the couch. Maybe I should try sleeping on the couch every night, I mean, any sleep is better than none at all, even if couch sleep is pretty poor quality.
It's almost as if I'm becoming nocturnal, I get so sleepy during the days that I am tempted to take a nap on the sofa in my office, and some days I take a nap when I get home from work. Which just makes sleeping at night just that much harder. Which, in turn, makes getting up in the morning that much harder, which makes me so sleepy during the day that I need to take a nap when I get home...and the vicious cycle continues. I don't know what to do. I can't even talk to my mom about it, because she worries enough about me as it is. I don't need her to lose sleep over my loss of sleep. Her not sleeping isn't going to make it any easier for me, and I don't want to give her any more reasons to stress out about me, since I'm the more gray-hair inducing of my parents' children, they don't need to add my insomnia to the long list of reasons why I can't take care of myself.

I'm just so tired of being tired. I just want to sleep.
I've tried tea and tylenol PMs and if Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them, it's because I've counted them all, and Mary's Little Lamb, and every other sheep for that matter. So much fleece...

TGIF??

It has been so long since I have had a day off that has actually been a 'day off' that I have no idea what to do with myself this weekend.
I honestly don't know how I am going to occupy my time today or tomorrow. My apartment is clean, because I had company last night. So I don't need to clean. I went grocery shopping earlier in the week, because the company I had last night was for a dinner party. So I don't need to grocery shop. My children's sermon for this Sunday is written. Check.
I almost want to go to Disneyland since I have my pass, but I'm not sure how much fun it would be to go by myself. I guess I could read. Or watch a few DVDs. Or organize the files on my computer. Not sure what else there is to do.
I was going to use today to prep for having my girlfriends over for dinner tonight, but we bumped that to last night.
Two of my college roommates came over and I made baked ravioli (which was delicious...ifIdosaysomyself). I hope we are able to get together more often, esp since one of these girls is moving to The OC soon...which means instead of 20 minutes to get from her house to mine, it would take 1 1/2 hours...sad day. It was so great to have them over last night, it was almost like college all over again. 'Family Dinner', walking to 'sevies' (7-Eleven) for dessert and massage trains in front of the TV!! And what did we watch after our 'grown-up dinner'?? Glee, of course...duh!
My mug doesn't tie-in with any of this, so instead of trying to bridge the gap between the above paragraph and the photo below, I will use this sentence as an awkward segue. Here is my mug of the day:

I got it at the Rainforest Cafe...the frog's name is 'ChaCha', which I found amusing, since my newspaper-nickname in high school was Cha...because since there were two Laurens, that's what they would write on the assignment board. (Opinion>golf carts on campus>Cha)...and eventually they started calling me that too!

Once Upon a Dream

I've had this re-occurring dream ever since I graduated from college, I hadn't had it in a while...but I dreamt it again last night.
The dream has a few variations, but mostly it is me realizing near the end of the semester that I am registered for a math class (it's always a math class) that I haven't been attending. Not because I was a ditcher, but because I had forgotten that I was in that class. I usually show up, and the professor will say something snarky like , "Ms. Chambers, I'm so glad you were able to make room in your obviously busy schedule to join us." The other students are all 'judgy judge' because I'm never in class. I feel stupid because I went to class on the first day, and forgot for the rest of the semester (until that particular day, for some reason).
And instead of Cal. Lu, the 'college' in the dream is actually my high school campus.
Last night though, I had to take a test. I've never taken a test in my dream before, it's usually the registrar telling me that I'm not going to graduate because I was never in class. Also last night, the role of the professor was played by Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester from Glee). That's the weird part. I'm pretty sure if Matthew Morrison was my teacher, I would show up to class.

I don't know where this dream comes from, I only took one math class in college and it was my freshman year, so I wasn't in the habit of cutting class yet. (Although my senior year I had very patchy attendance in my philosophy course...hmmm)