Lessons from our Foremothers

My boss (sister of my mom's best friend from high school) brought in this amazing picture from said sister's wedding in 1972. She (far left) and my mom are both bridesmaids. Kudos to mom for bucking the style guidelines and not rocking straight hair. Those flipped out curls, that straight part on the top, you're really breaking new ground there. And the dresses... oh my dear the dresses. Diana, Beth -- please don't get any big ideas. I'll wear whatever you want in your weddings, but please, no collars. No... whatever that material is.

Also, according to my boss, the one on the far right's name is Waif.

Oh, and, can we all take a moment to applaud the Lohan? This is the best she's looked in probably 2 years. Way to go kid.

Last VM post of the week day, I promise hope

Happy News!! (via)

Veronica Mars (3.49 mil), up 610K week-to-week, enjoyed a season high and the series' second-largest audience ever, MediaWeek's Marc Berman points out.

What are you people thinking?

This really pushed my buttons. How can people pay attention and think such things? (from EW's recap of the VMars finale):

And for all you out there who thought Piz was the rapist? No dice. Looks like he'll hang on to his good-guy status and maybe even play more of a role in the coming episodes. As for Tim, Dr. Landry's teaching assistant? I thought Rob Thomas and Co. might pull out some crazy story for him to be behind the rapes, but I have a feeling there will be more to his story. His rape-mystery bulletin board, if that's what it really was, pointed fingers (or circles, as Veronica noted) at several not-guilty Pi Sigs. Plus, we were treated to the blowout he had with his girlfriend at the party, where he said he'd been with ''someone new'' every time she had been with a frat boy. Hmm, maybe it's nothing. But maybe it's somehow connected to the next mystery and Dean O'Dell.

1. Piz? No freaking way. The rapes started last year. When Piz lived in Oregon.

2. Wasn't it crystal clear that the Pi Sig composit was Tim tracking guys in Pi Sig that his slutty gf was banging?

Maybe they're just as good and we're just wasting time

When will I learn that when I go to Anitas, I should avoid the trappings of ordering a full meal, and just get a side of refried beans and a fork. It's all I really want. I have a few bites of my enchilada or burrito, then focus all of my remaining attention on the side. Years and years of experience and I still order some sort of platter or dinner everytime, solely for the RBs. I declare the cycle broken, as of now!

Also

I bet Veronica's developed quite the roofie tollerance by now. (kidding)

Dear Veronica

Why the f*&k didn't you call Logan or Keith when you were on your way to Carrie's dorm? WHY?

Love,
Amanda

While browsine eMusic

I noticed piano tributes to The Fray and Grey's Anatomy.

And, there's some overlap there.

Huh.

We Have a Winner

Congratulations to Pam Mazzocco! You have won the award for first and most absurdly early holiday card of 2006!!

Also, everybody -- is Barbara Harrison ok? She's been fumbling over her words, giggling, and generally tripping off a whole, whole lot lately. Barbara, how ya doin? I'm worried.

Stretchy Blue Eyes

Apparently, in order to hang out with me this weekend, you must have blue/green eyes.

I heart Thanksgiving

Because only when cooking from my granny's holiday recipes do I go through a box and a half of butter in an hour.

Inventors! Take Note

Has anyone else heard the hilariously nebulous radio commercials calling all invention loving types? It goes something like this:

Do you like to think about ideas that might invent inventions for people who invent ideas and inventions? Are you tired of thinking about things and want to start writing down TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBERS? Do you want to start making money for recording the dates of your inventions and the parts you'll need to make your inventions? Then get a pencil and paper and get ready to write down a TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER. Don't write it down -- but get ready to. Thinking about inventing ideas to make inventions with could earn you money and prestige. So if you're ready to have ideas and stop thinking about having ideas, call this toll free number, and start writing down the dates of the ideas you were thinking of! Inventions!!!!

Though exagerated, it's not far off. This one's hilarious. The jewelry commercial where the mom puts a spin ending on "The Night Before Christmas," however, is nauseating.

Let's Go To The Mall!

If you don't already watch "How I Met Your Mother," perhaps this fake music video (a skeleton in the closet of one of the main characters) will make you tune in. As many shows as have been disappointing this year as compared to last, HIMYM is always a bright spot in the week. So watch it! It's a sitcom, so it should be pretty easy to catch up to even if you haven't been watching it. On Monday nights. On CBS.

Not So Hot

That is what I have to say about Au Bon Pain. One just opened up next to my office, so we went today, all a flutter. Problem the first: you need a freaking tour guide to navigate that place and figure out how to order or obtain your food. We spent a good 20 minutes dizzily walking back and forth across the restaurant trying to decipher who we should ask for our sandwiches. And the registers -- why are they so separated and bizarre? Once we finally figured things out, I got some broccoli cheddar soup, a thai chicken wrap, and a cranberry macaroon.

The soup was delightful. Really.

The sandwich however, not so much. The wrap itself was dry and disgusting. The innerds of the wrap were generic and unflavorful. Since eating it, I've started feeling sick too. Bad all around.

The macaroon was also delightful. Seriously delicious.

My coworkers' sandwiches also got bad reviews. I've never lived or work in proximity to one of these places before, though I know they're quite common and popular. But my god, I will not be partaking in any of their "sandwiches" any more. Not at all. But I'm quite stoked to have a coffee place within walking distance of my office.

This was a really long winded way to complain that I have a tummy ache. Sorry for putting you all that.

SAFL!

Oh what a truly fantastic weekend! First, the 24 hour trip to Atlantic City that included ridiculous meals, amazing wine, and THE ROLLING STONES (which was incredible -- Mick Jagger's got to be the most fit person in the world, and they played pretty much everything I wanted to hear, including "Dear Doctor"). Quality bonding time with dad and his best friend was a blast. We got crab cakes and crabe soup in Dundalk, hoagies in Jersey and ate like kings in AC. Gluttony was the watchword, in the awesomest way. Then I returned and more or less spent the remainder of the weekend drinking and watching football with Steg and Annie, visiting from Chicago, and a troupe of other wonderful friends. The weekend culminated in brunch at Galaxy Hut and a Sunday Night Party (well, all day Sunday really) at dad's. We played copious amounts of asshole and developed a new cheers phrase everytime we drew a social -- "Super Adorable Friendship League!" -- SAFL for short. Don't wask. Anyway, I pretty much am still drunk so if this makes no sense, many appologies. But it was a fantastic weekend. Seriously.

Oh, and, though the Skins lost, I was quite impressed with Campbell. It's nice to see a QB in a skins jersey whose feet are capable of staying still.

The awesome and bizarre kind of stuff that happens when you're my father's daughter

ring ring

"hi dad"
"hey honey how are you?"
"good, you?"
"good! listen, what are you doing tomorrow night?"
"i don't know, why?"
"well, trump plaza just called me.... to see if i wanted tickets tomorrow night...."
"uh huh" (thinking it's going to be like, "to see k c and the sunshine band)
"....to see the rolling stones"

*right then, my iPod cues up "2000 Man"

I'm going to see the Rolling Stones tomorrow!!!! I'm so excited!!!! Is it wrong that the 90210 where they go to see the stones is playing on repeat in my head?

UPDATE: Next call with dad. "Bring a nice outfit you know... I mean... wear something cool."

Dreamy

No, not McDreamy. Among People's annual lineup of sexy men, they've included John Krasinski, renowned panty melter and general heart throb. My heart, sufficiently throbbing.

Does this picture make any one else really nervous?

I love Animal Tracks.

If you blog it, they will nun

I've got nothing particularly interesting to share at the moment, so I'll piggy back on the insight of others.

• Blogs, Lauryn Hill responsible for increased numbers of nuns
• Unfogged takes an interesting look at why certain monsters accompany certain eras
• Catherine voices some valid concerns about this season of Veronica Mars, and praises the awesomeness of Friday Night Lights
• And finally, Gothamist reviews the Zune
  

Kriston Capps Heating Up

Is what I thought this DCist headline said at first glance. I got all excited to read an article about my BFF, then realized it was about Hockey, and I need to actually read the letters that are in front of me.

Bloglines down?

Cause according to it, none of the many blogs I check have posted anything today. And that's just bizarre. And, in fact untrue. I've only succomed to this whole RSS feed thing in recent weeks, but have grown quite dependant on it. So come back, bloglines! Where'd you go?

Cat Power

This morning I woke up to the Two Kitty Chorus. It's not as adorable as it sounds. Stinker assumed his normal position on my desk, by my wall calendar (his "WAKE UP MOM!" instrument of choice is batting the pages of said calendar). That's horribly annoying, but I'm used to it. This morning, his brother (our house guest this week) decided to join the band by bringing a toy with a bell on it next to the desk and shaking it in time with Stinker's page batting. At barely 6am I wasn't thrilled about it, but in retrospect, it was pretty impressive.

I tried

Really I did. But it's happened, hard as I fought. I've fallen prey to the corporate hounding and am officially in the Christmas spirit. I blame TBS, for playing Home Alone yesterday. Kevin McCallister's speech about washing all his major body parts with actual soap, including all his major crevices include in between his toes and in his belly button is like kryptonite to me. And once the cue up the doo wop "White Christmas," I'm a goner. I may have been able to resist longer if my iPod hadn't gotten in on the trick and chosen to play "Santa Baby" this morning. So, fa la la la la, it's Christmas time in s t r e t c hville.

And, holy crap, Thanksgiving? Next week? How'd that happen? Wasn't my birthday party like, yesterday?

The most disturbing thing that's happened to me in a while

The scene: the bar at the Velvet Lounge Saturday night.

Overly friendly, slightly creepy, and a little too old to be hitting on people my age dude that's wearing a Hawaiian shirt grabs a handful of my hair from behind me. Expecting someone I know, I turn around when he says, "I just love all that blonde hair... can I cut some of it off and keep it?"

And, when I said "...No.", he asked me "why?"

Kittyvision

I'm kitten sitting this weekend for Diana, much to Stinker's chagrin. Note the growl at the end of the video -- it's coming from behind the curtain. Many more cat pics up on flickr, along with some pics from the zoo.

I really love

"A Comet Appears" from the new Shins album. Everytime the album finishes, I find myself hitting the back button to hear it again. Absolutely lovely, as previously declared by Catherine.

Last Goodbye

by Jeff Buckley will always and forever be on my list of all time favorite songs. It is just so good. That build with the slide? Those heart wrenching vocals? The "kiss me" part? Amazing! Perhaps one of these days I'll actually make a list of my favorite songs, but for now, just know that that's on there.

It's a crime that I complain

But I am particularly fond of love shed on my favorite band. So how much am I loving all my blogger friends and their Walkmen references this week? And how excited am I for their HOLIDAY BLOWOUT PARTY in Philly December 16? And how awesome is it that now, I'll be able to have a little democracy with my rock & roll?

The answers: a lot, extremely, so very

If I Could Have the Wardrobe of Any Characer on Television

I'd choose Dr. Temperance Brennan from Bones. Her clothes are a perfect combination of hip, classy and professional everytime. Angela (same show) has pretty great sartorial sense as well. I'd even just settle for the accessories -- those women have the most incredible stable of boots, belts and jewelry. Whose wardrobe would you lift?

Batman & Space Ghost to the Rescue

You may remember my mention of the halloween antics that went down in my office. Now you can enjoy the resulting video, starring and created by my coworkers.

OC Hangers On, Don't Forget

There are two new episodes this week -- one airing tonight, the other tomorrow. Tomorrow's is a Thanksgiving episode, and you know how the Cohen's do up a holiday. I've read that by episode 4 (which would be next week's), the show is "season 1 good."

One thing I really like about my office

Every year, around this time, they order a shipment of the good tissues. Kleenex brand, baby. Free flu shots and consideration for chapped noses. My company cares.

I'm Proud of Myself

I just convinced my republican father to vote no on the marriage ammendment. Just a reminder: it doesn't just take away rights from gay couples. It takes away rights from all unmarried couples. Like my dad and his girlfriend.

A small coup, but I'm quite proud of myself for getting him to see the light on that one.

Vote Early, Vote Often. Don't Let This Happen Again.

And, as Ryan points out, that voting early thing will be key. Let's not let a little weather stand in the way of good things.

Tea Party

Having been pent up for several days now, I've been finding strange things to occupy my time. Well, not alltogether strange. I've watched lots of tv, seen approxmiately 3,987 political ads, read a totally awesome book about vampires, and organized my tea.

Yeah.

As I'm drinking lots and lots of the stuff right now, I wanted to take stock of what I've got. Yowza. I have a lot of tea. I've got your chamomile, your sleepytime, your cinnamon apple, your black current, your peach, your peppermint, your green, your lemon zinger, and much much more. So the next time you're in the mood for a warm and soothing cup o'herbs, you know who's door to knock on.

Things My 'Itis Has Kept Me From Doing So Far

-Participating in the amazing and miraculous victory over Dallas
-Celebrating the birth of the wonderful Diana at Restaurant Eve
-Death Cab and quality time with Laura Mellis

I am pissed. ZPack, don't fail me now! Now excuse me while I go lay down.

As long as it doesn't involve Trebek, it might be worth the extra charge

Does anyone else laugh everytime they see the "Canadian Will Call" option on ticketmaster? I picture one of the smug door guys at the Black Cat ducking beneath the table, putting on head to toe denim, and popping back up to hand me my ticket. Or every member of Stars circling round to welcome me to the 9:30 Club in song.

Re-punting? Really?

My perpetually annoying and worsening cold forced me to give up my skins ticket today. So you know I must be bad. Anyway, go skins, dallas sucks, etc.

Oh, and Korean weddings? Amazing.

Schrute-Space

NBC.com has a hilarious, though not often updated blog ostensibly written by Dwight Schrute. I love it because first of all, it's impossible to read it without reading it in Dwight's voice. Second of all, for lines like this: "Then they wiped their Germanic lips and went off to conquer, warm tummies filled with my beet juice."

Several of the other characters from The Office also have blogs on their MySpace pages, the most entertaining of which has got to be Jenna Fisher's. The actress' loveablility makes Pam all the more loveable herself.

Boy that was a lot of really bland commentary. Sorry, it's Friday afternoon. I'm done with cogent thought.

UPDATE: OK, Kevin's blog is also hilarious: "In fact, INDIANS in general wear pretty clothes. Why don't we wear prettier clothes? We kinda just wear regular European type boring clothes. I would wear a skirt. A pretty, flattering skirt. The color would compliment my eyes I think. I am not tryign to be an Oscar or anything, I am just saying, we might be happier if we sparkled things up a bit. I could wear a kimono. It would be comfy. Like a robe."

So are you saying that democrats don't go out on the weekends?

Cause I beg to differ. Most of my friends are democrats, and we go out a lot. (Slate)

Call Me Crazy

But I thought tonight's episode of The OC was actually pretty damn good! Ryan's got reason to be supremely broody again, tensions are high, and situations are set for good things (plot-wise). And granted, it doesn't take much to make me cry, but tonight's episode did. Anyway, it far exceeded my expectations. So, yay! Anybody else watch? Have opinions?

This Just In

Absolutely nothing new has happened in Latin music for the past decade.

Chris Thile, So Hot Right Now

Particularly his cover of The Strokes' "Heart In A Cage." After googling for an MP3, I see that Stereogum talked about it 2 months ago, which in indie rock music blogging makes me about 2 years too late. Regardless, Thile's album, How to Grow a Woman from the Ground is pretty fantastic. Julian Cassablancas' work reimagined as bluegrass is pretty fantastic too.

Also, check out Alela Diane. Is it obvious yet that I'm finally making my way through a mile-high stack of promo CDs? Alela Diane's album has made an absolutely perfect backdrop for me at work all week. Think of it as the middle ground between The Decemberists and Joanna Newsom. She's bringing her awesomeness to the awesomeness that is Galaxy Hut on Monday night, so get yourself there!

VMars: Where are they now?

In case you've been missing Beaver or Celeste Kane, track down tonight's episode of Bones. Both are suspected of kicking a little girl to death. Awesome! Beaver's a teenager who dresses like Jared Leto ("It's NOT EMO MOM!"), and Celeste is a former beauty pagent contestant and current beauty pageant mom whose "nice even buttocks" are under scrutiny.

And if you've been missing Meg, she's been a regular this season on Supernatural. Her character's actually got a little bit of sass and a little dimension, which is a nice change. I mean, Meg had dimension, but only in the physical, baby-bump sense.

Being sick sucks

All I wanted to do tonight was clean my appartment and grociery shop for tomorrow's traditional OC season premier party. Accomplished: none of that, lots of napping. Party: cancelled. Stupid germs. Who invited you to camp out in my throat? Not me! I know that much!

There are 17 of me!

In America, that is. Thanks to Pop Candy for pointing out this site, where you can find out how popular your first and last names are (80th and 4372nd, respectively), and how many other people in the U.S. have your name. Amanda Mattoses of the world country, unite! And bring one of the 113 Harry Potters with you!

How many of you are there?