Ramblings of a Thirty-Something

We are 2/3 of the way through July. That means August is almost here. That means that school will be starting in less than a month. What that looks like for sure is still uncertain, as are most things right now, but hopefully we see some positive changes soon.  Since I did not post a list for June, I have decided to just post one list for the whole summer! It will be longer than usual, of course, because I have watched a lot of shows, read a lot of books, listened to a lot of podcasts...you get the idea. And because this will be a bit long, I'm not going to waste a lot of time on the introduction. My Current Books If you didn't know, I started working at the Onarga Public Library this summer. This has been both a blessing and a curse {don't worry, I have an entire post planned on just that topic}, but suffice it to say, I have been reading a lot more than normal. And I normally  read a whole-stinking-lot, so I'm going to highlight a couple of my favorites and then just ...

I love school holidays. Columbus Day, President's Day, MLK Day...they're all great! There is just something about being able to sleep in on a Monday morning that is truly euphoric. A holiday feels so different than just a regular weekend day--weekends are usually reserved for errands and church and general running-around. You always have them, and so there are always things that need to get done on a weekend. But a free Monday--now that is truly a gift! I'm notorious for doing everything I have  to do on the weekend so my Monday is completely clear for whatever I want  to do. And when it's bitterly cold outside, I don't feel nearly as guilty when I don't leave the house. I had about four things I wanted/needed to do today:  get my oil changed, finish the book I'm reading, write, and catch up on my DVRed shows. Last night being a Sunday, I had an episode of Downton Abbey  to watch, of course, but I also had the premiere of a new mini-series that has me...

Living for the weekend is kind of something you do as a teacher (or any person who works Monday through Friday). And there are many good reasons to do so! I mean, you get to sleep in and wear yoga pants and not put on makeup--Saturdays are pretty wonderful. Sundays are always a special day, too, for many reasons. I mean, sure, Sunday nights are kind of a bummer since you know you have to get up for work the next morning (cue the tears),  but between church, football, and  Once Upon a Time , what else could anyone need? Actually, I can think of one thing. One thing that has been sorely missed over the last several months. One big, gaping hole in my life that has finally been addressed. That's right, everybody. Downton Abbey  is back. And while we all get back to our weekly rituals for watching, I thought it would be fun to list, in no particular order, my ten favorite Downton  characters. I say no particular order because it changes week to week, episode to...

There comes a time in every television show's life where the end is near. You may notice it by lackluster storylines or uncharacteristic character actions or new plot twists added only for their shock value. For some shows, there is never any sign. The season simply ends, ready to go on to a second season, and then the studio decides to cut it from their lineup. Like, for example, ABC's Forever , which I am still holding out hope that it will come back to me...I mean us, all television viewers. For other shows, like The Mentalist , there comes a point when the original story arc is completed, and so the show comes to a conclusion, ties up all loose ends, and throws an amazing farewell party (like the wedding between Jane and Lisbon...oh, it was wonderful!). Well, Hell on Wheels  now fits into that last category. The fifth season premiered on Saturday night, and as we have been reminded again and again via Twitter and other outlets, this is the final season. Which, to me, begs...

Grab yer dirk an' yer kilt, whether ya be MacKenzie or Fraser:   Outlander  is back, ya ken? (Insert fangirly squealing here) For anyone who doesn't understand anything I said, I apologize. It's hard to come back to my flat Midwestern accent after listening to the lilting speech of the Highlanders for an hour. If you are not aware, Outlander  is a fantastic series on Starz based on a fantastic series written by Diana Gabaldon. Here's a non-spoilery synopsis:  a woman (Claire) in "present-day" 1945 travels back to 1743 Scotland via some magic stones at Craigh na Dun. She doesn't know how to get back to her own time and is forced to survive in this slightly civilized land at the mercy of the Clan MacKenzie while avoiding the British Army. If it sounds at all cheesy, I apologize. It's hard to do it justice. Photo from Starz.com Outlander  is not just a time-travel story. The story delves into the politics of the day and the major historical th...

Okay, so occasionally I come on here, to this blog on which I randomly post random things about nothing of any real importance, and I post something deep that may or may not change your life. This is not one of those times. This is one of those times where I get on to this blog on which I randomly post about things of virtually no importance and wax poetic about a current obsession. Usually, that means Tolkien, but we're in uncharted waters here, boys. And girls. And animals with access to computers. We all need to sit down and have a very serious discussion about vikings .  Not the dumb old football team from Minnesota (sorry, I'm still rather bitter about the whole Brett Favre thing). Not the guys on the Capital One commercials. I'm talkin' about Vikings, the best show on the History Channel. And yes, that's including Pawn Stars. Source:  History.com If you have not managed to catch any part of this show, you really should start. It's not for the...

A whole new way to watch televisions shows has entered the scene in the last few years. I'm talking about binge-watching. Thanks to DVD releases of television seasons and websites like Netflix and Hulu, we can watch entire seasons of shows in a matter of a day or two. And people do it--I've been guilty of it. I watched the entire series of Archer in what added together equaled less than two days. You just click to watch the next episode and you can...it's like a super power. And it's great with shows like Doctor Who or Game of Thrones , and it's even better when you have just discovered a show that has already been on the air for several years. Like two summers ago, when I binge-watched seven seasons of Supernatural . But my most recent binges have been relatively small, and they have been necessary. Last year, we were introduced to perhaps the most terrifying television show to ever be broadcasted...and no, I'm not talking about American Horror Story. I...

Spoiler alert:  if you have not watched Monday's episode of How I Met Your Mother and you plan to do so, read this post after watching. That is all. Okay, I don't know if all HIMYM fans will agree with me, but I thought Monday's episode, "How Your Mother Met Me" was absolutely perfect! It was everything I have been wanting from this season all rolled up into a thirty minute episode. We open on the night Ted meets Robin, where season 1 begins, and follow a red-head from one MacLaren's Pub to another as she attends her roommates 21st birthday celebration. Surprise--the roommate is The Mother! And we immediately open her story with tragedy. Her absolutely wonderful boyfriend (amazing that we know so little about him and yet can pick it up with just a few details) has died tragically in an accident of some kind. The episode follows her to all the places where she and Ted just miss each other--the St. Patrick's Day party, the first day of Ted's teachi...

First of all, before I begin my rambling of the day, I want to thank everyone who read my most recent post and for all the support you offered me. It is one thing to know your blog is being read; it is another thing entirely when the people who read it take the time to respond to what you have written. Whether we laughed about it at school the next day or you wrote me a message, texted me, whatever...words cannot adequately express what I felt. I'm much better at writing my feelings than I am speaking them, too. I'm terrible at receiving praise--if it's possible, I'm even more awkward in those instances than in regular, everyday conversation. So thank you all. From the bottom of my heart, I'm grateful :) Now to what you've all been waiting for...(or at least I'm assuming this is what you've all been waiting for) My Thoughts on The Sound of Music Live! Of anyone I know (and please forgive me if this sounds at all conceited...that is most assuredly...

I have always been a lover of history. Throughout my life, I've been attracted to different eras at different times...sometimes in the same week. Recently, I've become more interested in colonial history, and so when I noticed that Fox had a new show called Sleepy Hollow, I was intrigued. Not only do I love history, but I have an affinity for ghostly tales and legends and folklore (not like Paranormal Activity... more like Haunted Hotels on the Travel Channel). The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has always been a favorite, and when I heard Ichabod Crane was waking up in the 21st century, I decided this would be my new show of the season. Truth be told, I can't decide how I feel about the show as a whole. I like the characters. I like the whole "I've been dead for two hundred years and know nothing about anything modern" storylines. I'm all for supernatural themes (though I prefer them accompanied by Sam, Dean, and Castiel). I just can't decide if this show ...

I have been an avid tv watcher since high school. I am loyal to the shows I watch, staying through until the end of the series, whether it be planned or unexpected. And I have sat idly by while some of my favorite shows ended far too soon. I was angry when The Class was cancelled after one season but quickly appeased by the introduction of one of my favorite shows, The Big Bang Theory. I was annoyed when Eli Stone ended after the second season finale, but I think I knew it wasn't going to be renewed, judging from the closure everyone got. I was pissed when New Amsterdam , the only good thing to come out of the writer's strike, was never picked up for a second season. But none of that compares to my fury, my depression, my heartbreak at the cancellation of Copper. I have written about it once before--one of my very first blog posts. I honestly do not think there was a more well-rounded show on television (aside from possibly Hell on Wheels ). The characters were deep and r...

Hawaii has some wonderful things to offer...or so I've heard. I've never actually been there, but I visit every week. Before I truly begin this declaration of love for the CBS show, let me preface it by saying that I understand why people do not like remakes. Very rarely is the new version better or even comparable to the original version, whether it be a song, movie, or television show. And when a person has only see the remake, they are allowed to like it! You can't get mad at someone for being born at the wrong time. Therefore, I understand why people who grew up in the 60s and 70s might prefer the original Hawaii Five-O. I love it myself! Jack Lord, Kam Fong, Zulu, and James MacArthur were am amazing team. Those who love the original grew up watching the original. But here's the thing...even though I was born in the late 80s and grew up in the 90s, I grew up watching the original, too! Sure, I may not have been around when the episodes originally aired, but I ...

It was a fateful Monday in 2005--November 28, to be exact. I was sitting at home with my siblings, flipping through channels. We ended up on channel 3 (CBS), and then I witnessed one of my favorite episodes of television. It was all about a guy named Ted getting incredibly drunk, wanting to see some penguins at the zoo, and his friend Marshall, who kept asking about a pineapple. And I was hooked. This was The Pineapple Incident, and it began my 7.5 season following of How I Met Your Mother. This show is amazing and has always been amazing and will always be amazing! And, as many people know, we finally got our first glimpse of "The Mother," after eight seasons of clues and hints. The writing on HIMYM is incredible. It is amazing how many times they reference something in, say, the second season, and it finally is manifested in the fifth season. When I go back and rewatch it (p.s., the first seven seasons are available for streaming on Netflix) back to back straight thr...