Random Readings

I read a lot of stuff on the Internet. A lot. And since I’m hoping – for your sake – that you don’t have this same problem, I thought I’d share the funniest, helpful, thought-provoking or otherwise interesting articles I’ve read recently. Here you go.

• Christianity Today names the most redeeming movies of 2008
• The Art of the [Facebook] Status Update
• Shaun Groves Discusses the Power of 456 Words a Day
• Karaoke Rage: When Innocent Singing Turns Violent
• 50 Ways to be Cheap on Valentine’s Day Without Looking Cheap

What about you? Read anything (online) good lately?

I carried a watermelon?

"Great movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary.”

Jean Picker Firstenberg, Director and CEO

American Film Institute

It occurred to me this morning that I sometimes have entire conversations using only movie quotes. I’m not sure what this says about me. Or maybe I am. Either way, today’s your lucky day, punk, because I’m about to share my favorite quotes with you.

Now you all know how much I love a good list. Or even a bad list. I’m not picky. But you know what’s even better than a plain ol’ list? An outline. Mmm-hm. And since movie quotes fall into several categories, an outline is pretty much a necessity here.

Calm down, I’m getting to the quotes. Don’t be all “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a” about my rationale for typing this in an outline! Surely you can indulge me just this once. (And don’t call me Shirley!)

Oh, good grief – somebody stop me!

Movie quotes to use at work

• Excuse me. I believe you have my stapler. (Office Space)
• I could set the building on fire. (Office Space)
• Doctor, doctor. Doctor, doctor. (Spies Like Us)
• Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. (The King and I)
• I gotta pee. (Forrest Gump)

Movie quotes to use with your spouse

• Ummm…yeah…I’m gonna need you to come in on Saturday. (Office Space)
• For-EV-errrr. (The Sandlot)
• Just you wait, Henry Higgins! (My Fair Lady)
• Do, or do not. There is no try. (The Empire Strikes Back)
• Me and Jenny’s like peas and carrots. (Forrest Gump) – Okay, so maybe this is just us. But Mark loves to say this in his annoying Forrest Gump voice and says, “Me and Photoqueen’s like peas and carrots.”

Movie quotes to use with your kids/pets/students/anyone you like to boss around

• If you’re gonna hurl, hurl in this. (Wayne’s World)
• You can do it! (Waterboy)
• I’ll be back. (The Terminator)
• There’s no crying in baseball! (A League of Their Own)
• Wha’ happen? (A Mighty Wind)
• Bueller…? Bueller…? Anyone? (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

Movie quotes to use at church

• May the force be with you. (Star Wars)
• Nobody puts baby [Jesus] in the corner. (Dirty Dancing)
• You talkin’ to me? (Taxi Driver)
• Show me the money! (Jerry Maguire)
• You can’t handle the truth! (A Few Good Men)

Movie quotes to use when eating

• Get in my belly! (Austin Powers)
• Gimme some of your tots. (Napoleon Dynamite)
• When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun. (Nacho Libre)
• Pate? (A Far Off Place)

Movie quotes to use whenever you feel like it/when you want to confuse people/when the mood strikes you

• Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die! (The Princess Bride)
• Toe pick! (The Cutting Edge)
• Could you milk me? (Meet the Parents)
• We thought you was a toad! (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)
• K-Mart sucks. (Rain Man)
• Beavers and ducks! (Bandits)

And pretty much my all-time favorite movie quote of all

• I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal. (Anchorman)

In summary, movie quotes and moves have, indeed, become part of my vocabulary. That’s really the only explanation for the voice I use to say, “Lucky,” or the way I pronounce “jazz flute” with a “y.” It’s why I often fight the desire to raise my foot up and do the crane or to place my pinky by my mouth whenever someone says “one million dollars.” And it’s why I head bang like crazy every time I hear Bohemian Rhapsody in the car.

What movie quotes or moves are part of your vocabulary?

Send in the clowns

Working in an ad agency was one of the most fun, frustrating, exciting, and I’ll be honest, scary work experiences I’ve had. And when I “got out” three years ago, I could not have been happier.

Now don’t misunderstand. I am so thankful for my time in that place. I learned a TON about marketing and business in general, and I got the privilege of working with some extremely talented folks. I also improved my ping pong game from embarrassing to passable and managed to memorize the benefits of every specialty dog food on the market.

That's important stuff.

But by far the most valuable thing I took away from that job was the friendships I made. I’ve already told you a bit about Kevin. Daphne is the other friend I've kept from that time in my life, and she’s one of my very favorite people in the whole world.

Daphne is a talented writer and has a tender heart. She loves Saturday Night Live and all animals, from her big hound dogs to a baby rabbit she found in her backyard. She has the best curly hair I’ve ever seen, but the girl cannot accept a compliment to save her life.

Me: Hey, Daph, your hair looks great today!
Her: Pshaw! What-EV! I haven’t washed it in two days!
Me: Umm…okay…whatever works for you…

You could look at us and assume that we get along just because of the things we have in common – we’re both from small towns north of Kansas City, we were both in The Wizard of Oz our senior year of high school, we’re both grammar geeks, we both have one-year-old kiddos. I mean, for crying out loud, we were born just a few weeks apart!

But the truth is – she’s just a great person, and I love her to pieces. Daphne is one of the sweetest, funniest, most loyal friends I’ve ever had. And seriously, people, she cracks me up.

Happy birthday, Daphne!

Very. Sweet. Bows.

A special thank you to Fagan at Very Sweet Bows. She’s not only answered my questions about how she got into the Bow Industry, but she’s also offering FREE SHIPPING to all my readers. Read on for more…

When I was younger, my mom would say that thanks to me, there were four bald-headed younguns (or “chillun,” depending on just how Southern she was feeling that day) in this world. As if there’s a limited quantity of hair God has to use.

Turns out, this may be the case, as my daughter was born completely bald, despite the massive heads of hair her father and I possess.

To top off the injustice of going through her early days with a perfectly round and totally bald head, Annalyn has also had to suffer through several a-DOR-able blue outfits.

And you know what that means…

“Oh, your little guy is so cute!”
“What’s your son’s name?”
“What a sweet boy!”

Though her hair finally started coming in (and with a vengeance – child has her father’s crazy curly hair that, by the end of the day, turns into a fuzzy, tangled nest), I decided to give in to the Bow Industry.

I’m sure you’ve seen their work. Little girls around the world (or at least in my corner of the Midwest U.S.) sport hideous, enormous bows, flowers and hats, all thanks to the Bow Industry.

I’ve resisted. I’ve bucked the bizarre trend. I’ve said things like, “I’ll never make my child wear something like that!” and “Who in their right mind thinks that looks cute?” and even “Seriously? Seriously.”

But after the 47th person commented on my sweet-natured little BOY (who was dressed in purple, thank you very much) one night at the grocery store…well, I caved.

I got online and searched. And searched and searched and searched. Turns out that Etsy site is one addictive place!

But I digress. What I’m here to tell you today is that I have found a solution. And that solution is Very Sweet Bows.

In my quest for a bow that was cute, reasonably priced (you would not believe what some people charge for these things) and not obscenely huge, I found one. And the angels sang.

Annalyn was thrilled to get a black headband and bow set (#1 on the headband page), as well as a pink one, in her Christmas stocking.

Okay, not so much as thrilled as bored. And not so much bored as wondering why on earth I ever thought she’d keep something like this on her head.

But she’s the baby; I’m the parent. (Can you tell we’re working on discipline at our house?) What matters is that for the 38 seconds at a time that she will humor me and wear the headband/bow, she is stinking adorable! And clearly, a girl.

The owner of Very Sweet Bows agreed to sit down with us and tell us more about her business. Meet Fagan:

Hello! I am a 38-year-old native Texan and mommy to my 6-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. My weaknesses are obscenely thick mystery books, pots of hot tea and music from the 40s. Not that I'm an old-fashioned girl or anything!

My bows are classic and girly, but also hand-washable and durable. I’ve also expanded my line of products in the last couple of years with tutus, crayon rolls, wipe cases and other little goodies.

I started Very Sweet Bows 4 years ago when I owned a brick and mortar children's store. After selling the store, I started the website and built it into a full-time job. My business is about half retail and half wholesale; I have items in boutiques throughout the U.S. and in a couple of stores overseas. My background includes marketing and management, so that has certainly helped. Not to mention, I’m hopelessly addicted to fabric, ribbon, buttons, patterns, yarn. I would go on but I'm getting lightheaded just thinking about it!

The most rewarding thing about my job is the positive feedback that I get. I love hearing from my customers and receiving pictures of their little ones wearing my bows! And I have formed lovely friendships with so many moms, which I treasure.

And today, you can have your very own Very Sweet Bows – with FREE SHIPPING! Just mention this blog when you check out, and Fagan will refund your shipping costs.

Very Sweet Bows works for me. To read about what’s working for others today, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

I could get used to this.

For Christmas, Mark got me something I’ve been wanting – no, needing – for quite a long time. He got me a clean house.

Last Friday, four angels stormed into our tiny house and scrubbed it top to bottom. They swept, they vacuumed, they dusted and wiped. They did what I wish I would do every week and have actually done maybe four times in the last 5 ½ years.

And they did it better.

When I walked in the door Friday evening, my first thought was, “Oh my! What’s that strange smell?” Um, yeah, it was the smell of clean.

Then I took off my shoes and walked down the hall…and almost fell on my face. My floor was so clean it was slick! (These are hardwood floors, not carpet, just in case you’re concerned.)

And then I spent the entire weekend picking up every piece of dirt and each crumb of food that we spilled onto my beautiful clean floors.

Because, really, who knows when we’ll be able to afford and/or justify this kind of luxury again. So I’d better keep it as clean as I can for as long as I can.

After all, my only other option is to actually clean it myself. And that just doesn’t seem right.

Image by swgrlimited

When you wish upon a star...

What happens when you wish for something to go back the way it was? You wish it with all your might, even though you know it can never be.

And then, the strangest thing happens...your wish comes true.

But it's not as great as you thought it would be. Not that it's bad, but it's just not...well, it's just not the same.

Have you ever felt that way?

Let's play a game today.

Let's lighten things up today. I've gotten this same forward several times, asking me to play a round of Scattergories using the first letter of my first name. I don't do forwards, but I do blog. So, I'll go first. Then it's your turn. Ready...go!

My name - Photoqueen
Boy name - Philip
4-letter word - Post
Girl name - Pamela
Occupation - Pharmacist
Color - Purple
Something you wear - Pants
Beverage - Pale Ale
Food - Pork chops
Something in the bathroom - Perfume
A place - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Reason for being late - Puked
Something you shout - Pass the salt!

(Well, I might shout that – you don’t know!)

It was harder to do this with my screen name, by the way! Feel free to use whatever name you'd like. Your given name, your middle name, your nickname, your boss's name, whatever. Leave your list in the comments!

We get by with a little help from our friends.

My friend, Katie, is offering FREE shipping

on any Mary Kay product ordered from her site

before Friday, January 23, 11:59 p.m. CST.

Katie is one of my best friends in the whole world. We met at church in the young marrieds Sunday school class about 5 years ago. She and her husband were assigned to our small group – lucky them.

Really, it was lucky us, because we got the chance to know this fun couple and be part of their lives.

We learned why they said they were from Kansas City, but had mysterious Southern accents. We learned that they’d been married as long as we had, even though Katie was – gasp! – the same age as my little brother. (And I thought I’d gotten married young!) We learned that they had hearts for outreach and ministry and their friends and each other. We learned that they each had a great sense of humor, even on the night we all ate the worst ribs ever…thanks to some mad grilling skillz. And we learned that they struggle with some of the same issues we do – dysfunctional families, imperfect marriage, struggling finances, the works.

Most importantly, we learned that this couple is what true church family means to us. They are friends of the heart. And we love them.

They moved halfway across the country two years ago, but thanks to the wonders of this Internet, we’ve stayed in touch, e-mailing everything from casual updates and funny stories to raging vents and heartfelt prayer requests.

On Sunday, I received the worst prayer request yet. Katie’s husband has been diagnosed with cancer.

"What? You want us to pose? You think we should hug?"
Our husbands have bonded through a love of beer and sarcasm...can you tell?

My dear friend is believing God through this situation – He is stronger than any cancer! But she’s understandably concerned about many things, from finding care for her three kids (ages 1, 3 and 4) while they’re in Houston to see a specialist to the unexpected expense of all this.

For the last year, Katie has been blessed by being able to contribute to her family’s finances by selling Mary Kay. Today, she’s like many of us and reluctant to ask for help. But she has asked me to help her with this one thing. She’s asked me to share with all my friends an offer of FREE SHIPPING on any Mary Kay product ordered from her website between now and this Friday, January 23.

I don’t actually use Mary Kay products but found a hands pampering set that I bought for my mom (nothing like having Mother’s Day covered in January!). So if you think you might be able to use anything Mary Kay and you can buy it this week, please visit my friend’s site.

Bearing one another’s burdens works for me. For more posts on what’s working today, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

Hail to the Chief: There’s a lot of tuba.

As I watched the inauguration this morning, I realized I was thinking less than charitable thoughts about pretty much everyone involved.

I imagined Bush heading home this afternoon to take Excedrin and a nap, perhaps chuckling at the burden Obama has taken on or possibly still bristling at the comments about much-needed change.

I rolled my eyes at the hype surrounding our new president, even saying to my co-worker that when expectations are so astronomically high, disappointment may not be inevitable, but it is likely.

Then I heard our President say this: “Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.” (CBS News)

Right then I realized: my cynicism was not showing a lack of faith in Barack Obama. No, it was showing a lack of faith in God, the One really in charge of it all. And it was showing a lack of faith in and loyalty to the country we call home.

So today I determined that I will have hope. Hope in our country, hope in our leaders and most importantly, hope in the God who rules all nations. Today I have hope.

(And today – in the headline – I made yet another Freaks & Geeks reference. I’m sorry. I’ll try to stop. It’s just hard, man, really hard.)

Image by Sumerset

Confessions and coupons

I have a confession. I have a Friday night ritual. It doesn’t involve drinks with the girls or a movie with my husband. No, every Friday night when Annalyn is in bed and Mark is still working, I lay on my couch and watch Wife Swap.

It’s a ridiculous show. But I watch it. And I like it.

Now that we have that out of the way…

In last Friday’s episode of Wife Swap, one of the moms was an avid coupon clipper. She often purchased cartfuls of groceries for $10. The other mom…not so much. She was a spender. And when she discovered the coupon hobby of her new family, she said, “What is this? A coupon disorder?”

I had to laugh at that comment, but the truth is, when I hear or read about coupon moms, I am amazed and overwhelmed and a little bit jealous. I am all for using coupons. I occasionally clip them myself, and my parents and our babysitter are always giving me coupons for diapers and wipes and all things baby.

But…I always forget to use the darn things!

Last weekend, my cousin told me she’s gotten really big into couponing. She has four young kids, so it makes a lot of sense to be more frugal. It sounds like she’s being more practical than some ladies I’ve read about – just buying things she will actually use and not driving around town to every single store each Saturday (hard to do with 6-month-old twins at home!). But she was still able to give each of us a parting gift before we left her house on Saturday night – tubes of toothpaste that she had gotten virtually free (in bulk!).

I have not been good at using coupons, even though I constantly struggle to stay within my grocery budget. What about you? Do you use coupons?

There’s got to be a morning after

Photo by uncommonmuse.

When something bad happens, sleep becomes both an enemy and an escape. Climbing into bed after an emotionally draining day, I know that sleep will heal my body and my heart.

But often, I don’t want to go to sleep. Not yet. Not really. Because if I go to sleep, then I will have to wake up. And if I wake up, the world will be there. Waiting to pounce. Waiting to shout, “Nope! That wasn’t just a bad dream. It’s reality. It’s your life. This is happening.”

This is how I felt last night. Tired and knowing that the morning and the work week were growing ever closer. But unwilling to succumb to the escape and the healing, because what had happened yesterday was still going to be there when I woke up.

So I gave into my emotions, sobbing on Mark’s shoulder, getting up time and again to blow my nose, whimpering about the unfairness of it all. Knowing at the same time that I have no right to complain, because bad things happen to good people every single day. Knowing that, like my mother’s voice in my head still tells me, “Life isn’t fair, baby.”

Eventually, I had to go to sleep. And this morning, just like I knew it would, the world was waiting. But something had happened. Those few hours of sleep did refresh my soul, even if my body was regretting my childish refusal to go to bed on time.

And I remembered that God is still God. Who cares if the same heart-wrenching world is still here this morning? God is still here! And He’s still sovereign and merciful and good.

Last week, I started writing a post about going through the motions and lukewarm belief and standing outside the fire and how much I want to FEEL again.

The timing is interesting, because today I am most certainly feeling.

We found out yesterday that a good friend of ours has cancer. And I am feeling. Oh, how I’m feeling. But even though I went to bed afraid and angry last night, this morning is different. I’m still feeling. But I’m also believing. I’m believing God.

This post is linked to Blog Nosh Magazine’s first special-event carnival, which is sharing stories of hope this holiday season in support of the Tide Loads of Hope program, a mobile laundromat offering laundry services to families affected by disasters. Click on over for more stories of hope.

Oh yeah, and an update on our friend? After several weeks of treatment, including an extended stay in Houston, he is free and clear. In other words, he is healthy and God is good!

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Helpful hints for the writers in the group

Photo by austinevan

Mary DeMuth is a published writer and speaker, as well as a professional writing mentor. On her blog, So You Wanna Be Published, she’s just completed a five-part series about writing tips she gives the people she mentors. I found the list and her examples to be so practical and helpful, and thought I’d share.

Since so many of you are writing books. And because I like to promote excellent writing whenever I can.

Just like the nerd I am.

Mary’s series begins here. Her personal website is here. And her writing mentor business can be found here. From what I can tell (by reading her blog – and how else would I get to know someone?), she’s a smart, compassionate, Godly woman. I’ve already learned a lot from her, and I hope you can, too.

Now, the question part – for those of you writing books, how goes it in the new year?

If 150 million people jumped off a bridge, would you?

Illustration by Matt Hamm

Last week, Facebook announced a momentous achievement: as of January 7, the social networking site had 150 million members. According to the memo, “If Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth most populated in the world, just ahead of Japan, Russia and Nigeria.”

That’s a good visual, right?. A bit egotistical maybe, but it does illustrate the point. To put it even more simply, I'll borrow from the wisdom of Ron Burgundy. I don't know how to put this, but Facebook is kind of a big deal.

An article on Slate notes that anyone not playing along is missing out: “Sure, you can trade e-mail addresses or phone numbers, but in many circles Facebook is now the expected way to make these connections. By being on Facebook, you're facilitating such ties; without it, you're missing them and making life difficult for those who went looking for you there.”

Thanks to the long list of newsletters and blogs I subscribe to, I read daily about the importance, the prevalence, the necessity of using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg and Delicious. It’s fascinating to see all this develop, and frustrating at the same time.

How are we supposed to keep up?

So I thought I’d ask you today – what social media sites do you like? Which ones seem like a waste of time? Is everyone you know on Facebook or Twitter? Do you think this craze will ever end, just like our dedication to recording TV shows on a VCR and tight-rolling our jeans?

It is I, princess: Carlos the Dwarf.

Back in May, I read a Newsweek article about popularity. A psychologist from the University of Virginia conducted a study and found that a child’s actual popularity may not be the only indicator of social success later in life. It turns out that believing you’re popular just may be enough. According to the article, this finding is consistent with “a growing body of research suggesting that our perception of how we fit into the social world is just as important – if not more important – than our real-life position in the social world.”

After watching more than a dozen hours of Freaks and Geeks, a show focusing on the brutal realities of life outside high school’s popular crowd, I’m convinced this is true. The times the characters (both freaks and geeks) were most conflicted was when they pondered their status, figuring out with what group of people they belonged and what that said about them as individuals. Toward the end of the series, Sam (a freshman and a sci-fi-loving geek, despite his brief relationship with a cheerleader) started feeling bad about his nerdiness, while Lindsay spent the entire series searching for her identity with the mathletes, the burnouts and the Deadheads.

The idea that how we see ourselves determines our level of satisfaction or success also makes sense when I compare my memories of high school with those of my friends. At our class reunion a couple years ago, the subject of popularity (predictably) came up. I had to laugh when we realized that while several of my friends didn’t consider us to be popular back in the day, I did. And that fact may just explain why my memories of high school are a little rosier than some of theirs!

Disclaimer: I am not in any way saying I was, indeed, the most popular girl in school. After all, I can’t pretend like nominating myself for Homecoming queen – and then not actually getting a nomination – just didn’t happen. (I know. Sad story.) But I had a lot of friends and we had a lot of fun, and for me, that’s good enough.

With that in mind (the study and its findings, not my debatable popularity), consider the impact our thinking can have on us long-term. The way our perceptions – whether they’re accurate or not – can build us up or drag us down. The way our own minds can betray us and hurt us…or support us and empower us.

In my more rational moments, I have to admit that this power we have over ourselves and the way we so often use it with bad effects is crazy! We are fearfully and wonderfully made by a Holy God! So what is my problem?

See, even though I have a pretty good handle on a few aspects of my life and my status and my position in the social world, I still struggle mightily with negative self-talk and assuming that I’m less [insert desirable quality here] than I really am. I don’t think I’m the only one, so I’m tossing around some ideas about how to use the community we have here in the blogosphere to tackle this issue. So stay tuned. I’ll be posting my grand scheme – I mean, ideas – soon.

Oh, and Carlos the Dwarf? That’s the D&D character that bad boy Daniel Desario got when he spent an evening with the geeks. Throughout most the series, Daniel bought into the belief that he was an outsider, a loser, a waste of space. But when he stopped listening to the cloud of voices telling him he was stupid for one night, he learned that he possessed the ability to succeed – and rescue the princess – all along.

But we just got her!

Mark has been laughing at me all week because over the weekend, I was lamenting the passage of time and made an unintentionally humorous comment about Photobaby.

I do that all the time, by the way – lament. You should try it sometime.

Anyway, we were talking about how big she’s getting and how much she’s changed and grown in the last month. And I said, “But we just got her!”

Pause for hysterical laughter here.

What? You don’t think it’s that funny? Mmm-hm, I knew you all were my friends for a reason.

Mark’s point was that I made it sound like Photobaby is a car or some other item we purchased recently. Maybe. I guess it might have sounded like that. Hardy-har-har.

But really, I said exactly what I meant. God has entrusted us with this smart, spunky and irresistibly adorable (if I may say so myself!) child for just a short period of time. Of course, I pray fervently that the period of time lasts as long as I do. But assuming I make it past her teen years, she’ll eventually move out of my house and into her own, independent life.

And though she’ll always be my baby, she won’t be fully mine any longer. Not that she ever was…

So when I see her pulling up to stand and crawling down the hallway at Mach 4 and saying “thank you” in sign language and shouting, “Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty!” every time our cats walk by, well, I can’t help but exclaim, “But we just got her!”

One of the most touching moments in Freaks and Geeks was in the second to last episode, Smooching and Mooching. Lindsay feels that her dad helping her friend, Nick, is unfair compared to his strict treatment of her. Her dad says, “You know the difference between you and Nick? You’re my daughter. And every minute that you’re not in this house, every minute that I can’t see you…is torture.” [This is paraphrased; please don’t quote me.]

Of course, she points out that she can’t just stay inside forever, to which he responds with a mock scowl, “Why not?”

You hear that, Photobaby? Why can’t you stay little? Don’t grow up! Let me give you a bottle every night and tuck you in and give you 763 kisses every single day! Why not?

I wish I'd never seen it...

In the last episode of Freaks and Geeks, Mr. Rosso loans Lindsay the Grateful Dead’s album, American Beauty. A Deadhead in the cafeteria spies the record that Lindsay’s holding and says that American Beauty is so great that she wishes she never heard it…just so she could hear it for the first time.

That’s how I feel about Freaks and Geeks.

Just two short weeks ago, I had not watched a single episode of this 1999 cult hit. The Judd Apatow series has been lauded by many, including my friend Triple, who has been telling me for years that I’d love it.

And I’ve been telling her for years that I’m sure I would, and I would love it, and I promise I will watch it. Someday.

Triple’s known me for quite a while. So she wisely took matters into her own hands, getting together with Chelley to give me the entire series on DVD for my birthday.

With no excuses left, I went about watching Freaks and Geeks like I do with any tasty treat. I savored it bite by bite, taking time to fully appreciate the flavor and texture of each morsel.

Ummm, no. I devoured it. Gulped it down, forgetting to breathe or eat or sleep for the good part of two weekends.

And just like that, it’s over. I’ve watched the whole series, all 18 episodes. At first I thought about saying it's like Wonder Years meets That 70s Show, but it's really more than that. It was possibly the most realistic and evenly acted portrayal of high school I've seen. Kind of the anti-Dawson's Creek. (Not that I didn't love me some Dawson's Creek, because ummm, I did.)

But now it was all gone, never to be seen again. Well, that’s not true. I can watch it any time I want. Plus, the DVD set has hours of extras – deleted scenes, interviews and commentaries. So I will actually be enjoying the antics of Lindsay, Sam and their friends for, quite possibly, years to come. In the meantime, brace yourself. I’ve received much wisdom from these 18 episodes, and it is my duty, nay, my honor to pass it along.

Not today, though. I don’t actually feel all that wise today. Maybe tomorrow.

For today, let me just say that I had no idea how many people had starred or appeared on this show! Even Ben Stiller appeared in the last episode. Here’s a quick list of the actors I recognized (and what I knew them from before F&G entered my life):

• John Francis Daley (now appearing as “Sweets” on Bones)
• Seth Rogen (well-known for his roles in several Apatow movies, including Knocked Up and Pineapple Express)
• Jason Segel (also known as “Marshall” from How I Met Your Mother)
• James Franco (mysteriously appearing in many films as a “pretty boy” or “hot guy,” including the Spider-Man series. I don’t get this one.)
• Busy Phillipps (has reprised her role as a prickly jerk in both TV – Dawson’s Creek – and movies – Made of Honor)
• Thomas F. Wilson (or, as he’ll forever be known to me, “Biff” from Back to the Future)
• Matt Czuchry (I fell in love with my husband all over again when he said, “Hey, it’s Logan from Gilmore Girls!” I was so proud.)
• Shia LaBeouf (since I’m not sure how to pronounce that name, I prefer to call him “that kid from Indiana Jones”)
• David Krumholtz (you can call him “the guy from Numbers” all you want, but I know he’s really the big elf from Tim Allen’s Santa Clause movies)
• Lizzy Caplan (from another short-lived sitcom, The Class, as well as Mean Girls) [Fun fact: In the last episode, Jason Segel accidentally called her by her real name (Liz) and not by her name on the show (Sara).]
• Rashida Jones (the actress who apparently wants to be called “Karen,” as that’s her name both in this show and on The Office)

[Note: If you'd like to learn more about this show and/or the DVD, I recommend going here for a better review than you're ever going to get out of me.]

This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday (as in, this TV show certainly worked for me!). For more relevant life-enriching tips, head over to Rocks in My Dryer.

Have it your way?

Part of my weight loss journey relies on my ability to make different food choices. And that’s hard, after 30 glorious years of enjoying pounds of M&Ms and bags of Doritos. I mean, those were good years!

Then again, they were also years fraught with agony over shopping in the women’s section and panic over once life-threatening blood pressure.

I guess the different choices might not be so bad after all.

And really, they aren’t. Granted, forcing myself to eat more fruits and vegetables is harder than it sounds. (I’m telling you, I don’t care if carrots could somehow eliminate my blind-as-a-bat need for glasses, they would still taste gross.) But let’s be honest – I’m not going to give up good-tasting food, and I’m not going to completely revamp the way I live (or magically find three extra hours in the day to cook those healthy meals I see on TV). So I’ve got to find some compromises – different choices that fit within my life, different choices that I can stick with.

Today I’m happy to report that I have found a couple good ones. Maybe they’ll help some of you in your health goals, too. Those of you who eat out more than you should and aren’t afraid of the golden arches or flame-broiled anything.

First, the fast food winner: McDonald’s Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich. It’s 9 points (420 calories/10g fat/3g fiber), which is a lot for a sandwich but not a lot for fast food. And it’s good! So far, I’ve gotten it with the mayo, but as I progress in my different choices strategy, I’ll probably leave it off. It’s that good.

And now for the fast food loser: Burger King’s TenderGrill Chicken Sandwich. This one is 11 points (510 calories/19g fat/4g fiber), and it’s not nearly as good as McDonald’s offering. My chicken was dry and overcooked, and there’s no way I’d attempt it without some sort of sauce (you can get it with honey mustard instead of mayo, and the stats are a bit lower). I was pretty disappointed in this choice…and glad I opted for onion rings, despite the 7-point price.

Finally, the best healthier food choice I’ve made recently was at California Pizza Kitchen. I had a cup of tortilla soup, which I’d classify as okay but filling, and then I had the most delicious salad I’ve had in a long time: the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad (I had a half salad). According to the information I could find, this perfect-sized salad was only 7 points. If they would have brought it with the dressing on the side (as I requested), it would have been even lower.

I know that many of us start new diets – or healthy lifestyle programs – in January, and some of you have mentioned being a part of that group. In your efforts to eat better, have you made any discoveries? (I know Brenda has – check out her delicious grapefruit photo!)

Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays.

Well, here we are. Full-fledged into January, embarking on another new year. Twelve months of opportunity, staring us in the face.

Uh-huh, staring. Waiting, expectantly. Blinking. Waaaaaaaiting…

Does anyone else get a little overwhelmed when starting something new? Despite talking around the issue for almost two weeks now, I've had a hard time really getting revved up about my New Year's resolutions. After all, will it really work? Is there even a point?

Now, you know I love me a good list. And I love setting goals and making plans. But (as I may have mentioned a time or twenty), follow through often proves difficult for me.

Largely because I so love my quality time with the TV, and partly thanks to my ever-growing obsession with the blogosphere.

But no matter the reason (and oh yes, there's always a reason), I have left pages of lists and plans and yes, resolutions, behind me over the years.

Here’s where my case of the Mondays comes in. Or the Januarys. Or really, any time period that allows me to start over.

Of course, we don’t have to wait for any magical day. We can start over at any time. Lamentations 3 – one of the most encouraging books I’ve found, with its barefaced admission of pain and bittersweet recognition of God’s mercy even in those valleys – reminds us that God’s compassion and love is new every morning. And with his love comes forgiveness and a clean slate.

Every morning, we’re given another chance. One more opportunity. Hmm...that's a whole post in itself! But for today, I'm focusing on what that means for January and resolutions and me.

So with that in mind…

This year, I believe, will be different. I’m setting tangible, measurable resolutions and committing to detailed plans to achieve them. And the icing on the cake? I’m even asking for accountability from you all. Right here. Right now. After all, if Tam and Mandy can do it on their blogs, surely we can do it here, too. (But please, for the love of all things musical, do not expect me to write you any songs!)

In 2009, I resolve, commit, determine to…

• Embrace a healthy lifestyle with the help of Weight Watchers (losing weight along the way, of course!).
• Return to a daily quiet time by subscribing to Proverbs 31 Ministries devotions. Also, continue working through three-year Bible reading plan at home.
• Improve personal finances by paying $50 extra toward debt each month and saving $1500.
• Spend quality time with Photobaby each day by reading a book to her before bedtime. (This might seem obvious and easy, but since I work full-time, PB and I often run errands in the evenings, making the night-time ritual rushed and chaotic.)
• Start doing my part around here by signing up for recycling service by the end of January.

I’m not even putting floss on there. Because really, I’m not sure you all want to be my accountability group for that one. And besides, I’m setting myself up for success this year with attainable goals and all that.

Those are my goals for this year. Do you think they sound do-able? Will you help me stick to them by reading updates every now and then (and asking for updates if I fall back to my typical slacker ways)? Is there anything I can keep you accountable for in 2009?

If I Could Turn Back Ti-ohm

When Will & Grace ended their final season a few years ago, they had a Very Special Going Away Goodbye Episode. It showed clips of their funniest bits over the show’s lifetime, including the many scenes involving one or all of the cast singing. Though those extremely talented actors have more impressive scenes, one of my favorites is the short bit Jack had with Cher. He thinks she’s an impersonator (or drag queen) and tries to show her how to properly sing “If I Could Turn Back Time.” You can watch it here.

And maybe someday if you’re lucky, I’ll share my own Cher impression with you. If you’re lucky.

It seems like sitcoms these days don’t include nearly as much music as they used to. Of course, you can point to How I Met Your Mother’s tribute to “I Would Walk 500 Miles,” but even though that episode was…wait for it…legendary, the actors weren’t really making music themselves. (See the clip here.)

So for you, I’ve spent my entire morning on YouTube and have some great musical sitcom memories to share. Oh, the things I do for you.

My mom was a big fan of The Monkees. So I learned to love Davy Jones early in life. But my favorite TV memory of that short British singer (5’3”!!) was on My Two Dads. (And I’d totally forgotten that Paul Reiser was in this show!) Check it out here.

Another one of my favorite shows from back in the day was Perfect Strangers. There’s just something so loveable about that wacky Balki Bartokomous! Turns out that he was always singing something, but the one that’s stuck with me all these years is a brief bit of him singing “What’s Love Got to Do With It” while dusting. If I’m ever home alone and dusting (not that this is a common occurrence, let me assure you!), you can bet I’m belting out that song. See it here at 1:02 (it’s a long montage). And for more musical fun with Larry and Balki, go here and here.

One of Photobaby’s favorite sounds to make is “Bah.” So naturally, I respond by singing “Bah-bah-bah, Bah-Barbara Ann.” And for some reason, this has brought Bob Saget to mind. Well, mystery solved. While I remembered the episode of Full House where the whole Tanner family goes to a Beach Boys concert and sings “Kokomo” (see it here), I’d forgotten that they also sang “Barbara Ann.”

I found this on a desperate YouTube search for Danny Tanner singing Moon River at the end of a date. I swear it exists. But despite the trillions of videos online with Full House musical bits, I found no trace of this one. So it’s possible I just made it up. (Anyone else remember that?)

Finally, one of the most striking musical scenes in a sitcom, at least in my opinion: the four Designing Women lip synching “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” You can see their talent show performance here, but to get the full effect, you can learn about why the song meant to much to those ladies here. This episode was one of the first times I learned about – and was moved and disturbed by – domestic violence.

On a lighter note, when I grow up, I SO want to be Julia Sugarbaker!

All right, now it’s your turn. What songs have appeared in your favorite TV shows? Or, what songs make you think of TV shows? Or, what songs make you – randomly – think of Bob Saget? And last but not least...anyone else who had a crush on Uncle Jesse?

We partied like it was 1993.

In years past, Mark and I have hosted several New Year’s Eve parties. Not the glamorous sort with flowing champagne, cocktail attire and live music. Although…

One year we had a champagne glass pyramid. Another year we convinced my brother to play Auld Lang Syne on my piano, which he did with his typical flair.

So, really, I guess we were just missing the fancy clothes. And when I think about the pantyhose and girdles and pointy shoes involved in that mess, I don’t believe I actually “miss” fancy clothes after all.

This year, we really kept a low profile. Between a 15-month-old baby, a family get-together scheduled for New Year’s Day, and Mark scheduled to work on both Wednesday and Friday, there wasn’t much we could do.

Until I decided to invite Chelley and Smitty to come over. (I invited Triple and Mad Dog, too, but they had made plans with Triple’s sister back when they thought we could head up north and go with them.)

It was then that a Very Special New Year’s Eve Girls Night was born. I bought People magazine and junk food and grabbed 13 Going on 30 out of the $5 bin. I pulled out the three semi-chick flicks I own (I rent movies, folks; I don’t buy them!), and covered many mini pretzels in white chocolate. I even put green sprinkles on them.

Sprinkles on the pretzels, not the movies.

And then Mark got off early. And Smitty brought over a movie. And Chelley suggested board games.

It was then that a Very Special New Year’s Eve, circa 1993, was born.

Just like Smitty and I did during our freshman year of high school, we all ate Cool Ranch Doritos, drank Mountain Dew and watched A Far Off Place.

We also played a torturous game of 90s Trivial Pursuit – It is harder than it sounds, people! Did I sleep through the 90s or what? – and several rounds of Taboo. Mark had the good grace to lose every game, as is only appropriate when you crash a VSNYEGN. And I showered my closest friends with much spit as I said repeatedly, “Shhh! There’s a BABY sleeping here!”
I know it doesn’t sound like it…but we really had a good time. It’s my educated opinion (based on years of junk food research) that you just can’t beat the combination of rot-your-teeth-sweet Mountain Dew and oh-so-ranchy Cool Ranch Doritos.

And A Far Off Place? Well, that one started as an inside joke and has now become a tradition we will repeat every New Year’s Eve.

Just kidding, Chelley.

It’s actually a 15-year-old sad and serious Disney movie starring Reese Witherspoon that Smitty and I watched back in the day. And though we finished the original movie marathon (that also included Jack the Bear, a realllly sad Danny Devito movie) feeling slightly depressed and confused about her mom’s taste in movies, we also latched on to a running gag in the film about cat food being confused for pate.

I don’t know. We were 14. It was funny then.

And okay, it was funny this time around, too.

But the best part of the whole thing was spending the evening with three of my favorite people – Mark, Smitty and Chelley. That, my friends, is how to ring in the New Year!

I know this question is coming about, oh, 8 days too late…but how did you celebrate New Year’s? What your favorite/craziest/funniest New Year’s memory?

I can't believe I forgot!

Back when I was helping Triple plan Chelley’s surprise birthday party, I did a little research into the year she was born. 1978 also happens to be the year I was born, so I was doubly interested. We didn’t end up needing the pages of information I found, but I planned to share some tidbits with you all. On my birthday. And then I forgot.

So, even though we’re now past the 30th anniversary of Chelley’s birth and mine, I still want to tell you about a few other things that were born in 1978. For extra credit or something.

First – everyone’s favorite dog-hating, lasagna-loving cat, Garfield. The comic strip drawn by Jim Davis debuted on June 19.

Next – the original primetime soap, Dallas. This long-running TV show about a wealthy, dysfunctional family in Texas actually began as a miniseries in April.

And what about food? Surely there was a food-related discovery in 1978? Why yes, yes, there was. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop in a renovated gas station in downtown Burlington, Vermont, on May 5.

Now, I want to see a show of hands. Who out there has one of these collecting dust on a shelf somewhere? That’s right, folks. Precious Moments began cranking out those round-headed figurines just over 30 years ago. Say it with me: Awwww.

Did you realize Whitesnake has recorded more than 50 songs they believe should be rounded up and plopped onto a collector’s album? Honestly, I had no idea. The band was formed in 1978, but it would be 9 long years before I ever heard one of their songs. “Is This Love” or “Here I Go Again,” anyone?

And last, but certainly not least, we have a movie. Or perhaps I should say, A Movie. After all, we are talking about the film that brought us Olivia Newton-John in black leather. That’s right – Grease came out 30 years ago, showing us the danger of being a beauty school dropout and encouraging good girls everywhere to go bad. Well, you know, as bad as it gets when you’re bopping around a fairground singing, “Boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-e-dy, Shoo-by doo-wop she-bop, Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop.”

There you have it. The most notable events of 1978. Just kidding. Many more important things happened, of course. But I thought these were fun.

What do you think? Are you a fan of summer lovin'? What’s your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry’s? Are you offended that I assumed all Precious Moments figurines are dust-catchers? Were you allowed to watch Dallas back in its heyday? Do you love lasagna or hate dogs? And really, most importantly, what is your favorite Whitesnake song?

Next week I'll be serious.

But this week, I'm getting all my fluffy posts out of the way. Plus, I mentioned to Brenda that I'd been thinking of posting about OUR celeb lookalikes...and she said she's looking forward to it.

So you know I have to do it now.

Okay, here's the thing: Hollywood will never make a movie about my life. But just in case it does, I want to be prepared. I want to decide who should play me. You should do the same.

Come on, it'll be fun!

First, the actresses I have been told I look like:

Brooke Shields
(My grandad said this when I was a kid.
She was younger, and I was cuter then.)

Christine Baranski
(I don't get this. She is old
and not who I want to look like.)

Neve Campbell
(I don't want to look like her, but I kind of do.
Well, I did back in high school,
which was when this was said.
Several times.)

Apparently I am a bit mannish-looking.

Whatever. This is my make-believe movie, so I pick the lovely Michelle Monaghan. She's not mannish at all.

All right - it's your turn. Who have you been told you look like? Who would you pick to play you in a movie?

"No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough."

(Quote by Roger Ebert)

In an effort to fulfill one of my many goals, I watched a bunch of movies over the long New Year’s weekend. (The goal being to watch a bunch of movies, you know.) And because I know you all wait for my reviews, trying to decide which flick to rent on Friday night (“Should I watch that one? I don’t know…did Photo like it?”). Right.

So, for you, my friends – the reviews.

Traitor – starring Don Cheadle. This movie is about the CIA, the FBI and terrorists. So if you’re looking for a light, fun movie, this would not be your best pick. It wasn’t even terribly exciting. But it was serious and thought-provoking about extreme Islam and the mindset of a terrorist. Heavy, but good.

Drillbit Taylor – starring Owen Wilson and a bunch of kids. I definitely did not expect to enjoy this one. But I did. It was fluffy and predictable…and cute. And I’ll be honest, I kind of like Owen Wilson. Yeah, he plays the same character in every movie. But I kind of think he’s funny.

Hancock – starring Will Smith. I kept hearing that this movie was not what you’d expect. So I went in with few expectations. What I found was a funny movie, but a serious one, too. Will Smith isn’t his usual likeable Fresh Prince guy. But you still root for him. I really liked this movie.

Iron Man – starring Robert Downey, Jr. Now this movie wasn’t what I expected! It was kind of a superhero movie, but not really. And it had some serious stuff, but it was very clever and funny. Also – did you know Gwyneth Paltrow was in this movie? I guess I probably knew, back when it came out, but I had forgotten because it was such a comeback vehicle for Robert Downey. I liked this movie the most out of all my rentals.

Eagle Eye – starring Shia Laboeuf. I saw a preview for this movie back in the summer when we saw Indiana Jones, and I knew right away I wanted to see it. So I’ve been waiting months for this movie to come out on video. And last weekend, it was out. And I was completely disappointed. It was silly and just not good. Boo.

But wait, there's more! And no, I'm not talking Ginzu knives. See, on top of these fine films, I’ve also watched most of the complete season of Freaks and Geeks (thanks, Chelley and Triple!). I’ll review that once I finish the last few episodes.

So – have you been pleasantly surprised or sadly disappointed by anything lately? (Doesn't have to be a movie, of course!)

The Missing Ingredient

Lose weight. Read my Bible more. Floss daily.

Resolutions made…resolutions broken. I do it every year. I start January 1 (or in the case of 2009, January 5) gung-ho, raring to go. And apparently, rhyming.

Anyway, I get highly motivated at the beginning. The beginning of the year, and later, the beginning of a month (March rededication, here I come) – it’s time to start over, to begin new, to really do it this time.

The problem is that I just can’t stick to it. I don’t have enough stamina.

I found I was missing stamina over the weekend, too. I took Mark to the College Basketball Experience and attempted to school him in the regulation version of Pop-a-Shot. Turns out, all those years of standing on my driveway and shooting until I made 10 baskets in a row paid off. I’m actually pretty good from the free-throw line…for about 20 seconds.

And then I got tired. So very tired. My shots were veering to the left and then, even sadder, not even making it to the net. If the game had been 30 seconds long, I would have had a chance at beating my much more skilled (and in-shape) husband. Alas, it lasted a full minute. And I got stomped.

The interesting – or frustrating, depending on how you look at it – thing is that the only way to build stamina is with exercise. That just doesn’t seem right, does it?

I don’t have a solution or a clichéd summary to put here. I just noticed the correlation between my sad attempt at hoops and the difficulty of reaching goals in general.

So I’m asking you – How can we reach more goals in 2009? You don’t have to call them resolutions, and it doesn’t have to be related to anything we start in January. But help me out. Help us all out – how have you stayed motivated, finished a project, fulfilled a dream?