2011 Recap

Reflecting back on 2011 makes me realize it's been a rough year, and one I am ready to put behind me and move forward. Many relationships were lost and/or destroyed, some rekindled and others grew to something deeper. There were ups and downs throughout the year, and the good things that happened I truly cherish.

Without giving myself a full-on pity party, I'm just going to say to hell with 2011! Bring on the final year before the zombie apocalypse and let's make it the best year ever.

I have many hopes for 2012, and plan to venture out of my comfort zone and do things I've been wanting to do, make relationships I've needed to make, and accomplish tasks I've put off. This new year is going to be great, because I'm not going to let it be anything otherwise.

TV on DVD You Should Own Like Me

I've decided to provide a list of shows I think you should own on DVD like I do. This is because they are pretty darn good shows, and you should at least watch them if nothing else. You will see what good taste I have by the list below:

Arrested Development
The Big Bang Theory
Chuck
Dexter
Friends
House
How I Met Your Mother
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Scrubs
Smallville
The Vampire Diaries
The 4400
Cheers
Dead Zone
Doctor Who
Forever Knight
Early Edition
Heroes
Life
The Mentalist
Modern Family
Moonlight
Psych
Quantum Leap
That 70's Show
Sliders
Three's Company
The Guardian

And because I'm the awesome person I am, I have linked each show title to their respective IMDB page so you can learn more about them. It's because I care.

Now I'm not saying any of these shows are without their faults, but looking at the overall picture, these shows really are great in their own rights.

I watch a lot more shows (see my previous post), and would love to own some of those on DVD as well, but for now I'm happy with what I have.

Gaming Addiction in Progress

I may have a new addiction. I'm not sure yet, as it is fairly new (this week), but I've been playing every night (except last night) and I'm aiming for perfection. Yeah this is an addiction.

On Christmas day I went to my mom's house for a delicious ham dinner, and during our dinner conversation we started discussing the movies and tv we like to watch (this is a fairly regular thing), and then we moved on to video games. It was then that the discussion of Call of Duty was brought up. I have never been one to play these games, but have enjoyed watching others play them. Until now. My brother and his girlfriend brought up along with my sister and her husband that on Call of Duty Black Ops you had the option of killing zombies. This excited me! I've known for awhile that I need to start preparing for the zombie apocalypse, and what better way than learning how to kill them. I know this is just a game, but it's hella fun! The other part of the game where you go on missions from the past is pretty fun too. I'm getting pretty good at shooting people. I never thought I would say that.

Mine is for Wii

Well anywho, I now have a new addiction thanks to my family. And I'm still amazed that I hadn't heard about this game's zombie killing option until now.

Happy gaming!


P.S. I totally suck at the zombie killing part of the game. I can't get past killing more than 3 before they eat me alive. If anyone has some tips on where to turn on the effing power as it keeps yelling at me to do so, I will love you forever.

Merry Christmas To All and To All A Goodnight

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas geek style:

I hope you all have a great holiday with the ones you love.

Don't Worry I'm Not Missing Anymore

Wow so it's been a while since I've posted something new. I've been MIA for a couple weeks, and I really don't have the best of excuses. Let's just say when you're single, this time of year is horribly hard. And because of this, I've been feeling sorry for myself. I also went on vacation to Vegas. See pictures below:

 I got this a few days before my trip

This showed up under our hotel door. I was really hoping for something great, but we didn't see anything.

And at the MGM Grand.....

Mama lion looking for some attention. P.S. I want their job.

Mama and Papa lion taking a rest amongst all of the camera flashes

Cute baby cub Cheeto that I pet and got a picture with

Cute Cheeto playing

Made of Jelly Belly's

The Cosmopolitan

Yeah you feel like a million bucks just sitting there

I promise in the new year that I will be posting more often, that I'll get out of this yucky funk, stop feeling sorry for myself and do something about it. Words an introvert should live by (and yes by this I mean "easier said than done").

Oh and we had Christmas this past weekend before Amber and Peyton go home for the holiday.

I got Peyt his very own chef's outfit!

They both got me new PJs, Steve Jobs book and a crazy fun Wii game

I got Amber a food dehydrator and a scarf. 

The Night Before Christmas Doctor Style

In anticipation of the Doctor Who Christmas Special airing Christmas night, below is a little something fun:

What's better than Chrismas mixed with a little Doctor Who? The answer is nothing. Especially when it's done Narnia style.

This Is How I Do It

This is how I do Sunday nights while braving the storm, hoping the power stays on:

No worries, marshmallows were involved.

My Cute Lily

So I pretty much have the cutest kitty ever. Evidence below:

I love how cheap it is to keep her entertained. I haven't bought a real toy in years. 

Looky What I Did!

So I decided to decorate this year. I haven't done so for a couple years, mainly due to my OCD. I decided to put all issues aside, and get into the season, and below is what resulted in my doing so.

Nothing super fancy, but it's put me in the mood. That and watching cheesy Christmas movies while decorating.

Looks better lit in the dark. Yay!

History in the Making (or something kind of profound)

So due to what is being called "Hurricane Davis County", I was granted a day off from work. How was this day spent? Without power. So what did I do to keep myself busy?

1. I cleaned out one of my closets, which resulted in a box of items to give to the DI, and a box of garbage. This was major progress for me, I've been meaning to do that for months.

2. Read me some "Goblet of Fire". I haven't been reading as much as I would like to because I've been choosing TV over reading. Well today I didn't have that option.

3. Took a nap. Because of the tenacious winds all through the night, I didn't sleep well. The nap helped a lot. I love naps.

4. Started watching Sliders on my laptop. I had been refraining from using my laptop for fun because I needed the battery power to charge my phone which was dying quickly because of the mass amount of texts I was receiving through the day. Sliders is an awesome show by the way.

5. Packed up and went to my mom's house (thanks mom!) where I could take a nice hot shower in a bathroom that didn't require a flashlight to see. The power isn't supposed to come back on anytime soon at my place, so I'm camping out where it'll be warm and I can access the internet. I did have to leave my kitty Lily at home, which made me really sad, and I hope she survives. It's going to be a cold night and there's no heat. She's smarter than the average kitty though.

Sidenote: It's amazing how attached I am to my electronics. This is both bad and good.

Ode to Neil

Ok so this isn't necessarily a true Ode, due to no rhyming verse. It's more of a reminiscing of Neil, but anywho....My friend Jordan has recently posted in various places her love for Neil Diamond, and this got me thinking about the great memories I have of the man, and the reasons why this man is awesome.

1. The Jazz Singer (movie). Although this is a remake of the 1927 first "talkie" film, I love this version the most (I also love the Pure Country version too, well I consider it a version of the original film). Not only does it have an amazing soundtrack (see item 2), it helped me to understand the Jewish faith a little better. I don't know if that was really the intention, but I now know the dances, the songs, and some of the other rituals. My mom claims this movie is the reason I love Neil, as she was pregnant with me when she saw it in the theatre. I can't say whether this is true or not, but it makes for a good reason.

2. The Jazz Singer (soundtrack). This is one of the best soundtracks around. I love all of the songs, and have very fond memories as a child listening to the record (yes record, I'm that old) over and over (especially "America") and singing at the top of my lungs. I'm pretty sure my mom was so tired of hearing it, but she never let on.

This trailer is classic 80's dramatic cheese

3. Seeing Neil perform live. This has to be one of the best concerts I've been to. It's been almost 10 years since I saw him, but I still remember 50 year old women vying for him, throwing underwear at him and screaming like they were 12. It was the damnedest thing. Putting all that aside, he is an amazing performer, and with his sequin shirts you just can't lose.

4. Neil's new tour. The potential attendance of another Neil concert next summer excites me very much, and I really hope that I will be going, and that Jordan will too. She will enjoy it very much.

Bookcase As Promised

I now present the bookcase I bought.

Nothing super fancy, but my books have come home to me and that makes me happy.


(And if you thought I was going to be posting a picture of me lugging it into my house, you are sadly mistaken).

Winter Dressing

Outfits the skinny me inside wants to wear this winter:

Maybe not the pants, but the sweater is cute

I feel the sunglasses are necessary to complete this outfit

I just really like this necklace. 

Thank you pinterest. I'm not sure I would be able to dress myself everyday without you.

My Weekend in Review

So I've been MIA for a few days. Reason?

1. Thanksgiving (I tried to stay away from a computer as much as possible due to my day job, the Holiday IS my Holiday (british way of saying vacation).
2. I got sick :(  Boo for colds
3. I decided my time was better spent watching TV (whilst being sick). I caught up on the week's shows, watched some Season 5 Doctor Who, had a Friends marathon with Amber, and then watched all of Season 2 (thus far) of The Walking Dead. It was a busy weekend.
4. I ventured out on Saturday bought me a bookcase and some new artwork for the wall in the family room. So all was not lost, you should have seen me lugging that bookcase into my house (picture to come, once I've filled it). Thank God for elevators.

Rachel kindly noted that it's not spaced evenly. That has been fixed.

Today's Thought

I already know my choice.

Confession Time

Ok so it may be time to admit to myself that I have a problem. And that problem is me getting too invested in certain tv shows. I do this a lot and it's not good for me!  I fall deep in love with a show and then it ends and I fall into a temporary depression until I find a new show to love. And the most recent show I've been watching is no exception.

I started watching Being Human last weekend. This is a British tv show and it's amazing! That is if you like the supernatural. Well anyway each season has about 6-8 episodes, and so far there have been three seasons. Well I finished what has been aired thus far a couple nights ago, and am now in withdrawals and a bit depressed. Reasons being; one - I have no more to watch and two - the ending of the third season made me cry.

I have done this before several times with other shows, and I know better, but yet I continue to do it to myself. A few other shows I have recently done this with are:

Doctor Who - Thankfully there still continue to be new episodes, I just have to wait forever! The bright side though is this is a show I can watch over and over.

Smallville - I watched this show from beginning to end when it first aired up until the final episode. After that aired, I decided to watch all 10 seasons again (I own them, except for 10). My problem is that I have a tendency to watch shows in excess and quickly. I don't know how to pace myself. So that being said I was able to watch all 10 seasons in a month. I'm sick.

Roswell - I had several people tell me this is a must see. And they were right. But I was left with an emptiness afterwards. An all too familiar feeling.

Torchwood - This was my most recent obsession before Being Human. Although I was disappointed with the fourth season, I still loved the first three and this could easily be one I could watch over and over. I have a few of these types of shows that I can do this with. That can be saved for a later post.

Although I do this to myself on a regular basis, I love my shows and will continue on this path. I have only admitted to my problem, I have no plans to fix it.

I should have been British

I'm pretty sure in a past life I was British. I think this would help explain why I love so many things British. I mean I am half English....

Some of my favorite TV Shows are from across the pond:

Doctor Who
Torchwood
Being Human
Top Gear
Is It Legal?

Some of my favorite movies are British:

Love Actually
Bridget Jones' Diary
The Holiday
About A Boy
James Bond movies
Monty Python movies/show

And my all-time favorite band happens to be from over there as well:

The Beatles








Coincidence?  I think not. Maybe that's where I should move to.... Just a thought.

I really have no other reasons for this, but I think this is a good start.

Apartment Blues

I am so over apartment life. I want to buy me a house pretty bad, but just don't know where I want to make this commitment. I like Utah well enough, but I'm just really unsure if I want to continue living here. All of my immediate family lives here, and that plus a steady job is what has kept me here so far. But I'm so ready for a change! I think I'm at a cross-roads in my life where I'm questioning every little thing. It basically started when I hit the big 3-0.

If I do choose to stay in Utah, I want to be able to live somewhere that I enjoy. I love Davis County for the most part, but it's so expensive. There are some seriously adorable houses in Farmington, but there's no way I could afford them. I would need a raise for that, which isn't going to happen in the near future..... So, where does that leave me?

My lease is up in I believe April and by then I will need to know what exactly I am going to do. Should I stay in Utah? If so where is a good place to live? Should I leave Utah, find a new job, and get me a change of scenery?

Opinions are welcome.

Life Lessons a la New Girl

*Spoilers* - I feel I should preface this by saying if you haven't seen this week's episode, you should read no further. This means you Amber.


In watching this week's episode I have learned the following:

- Justin Long is adorable
- I'm not the only horrible liar
- Never defrost a turkey in a dryer. Bad things happen
- Body warmth doesn't defrost a turkey
- Never exchange keys with a neighbor. Bad things happen
- You should always name your turkey Hank
- A DB jar should be available at all times
- Thanksgiving is the least sexy holiday (I think I already knew this one)
- Apartment building hallways are not sound proof (my neighbors need to take notes)

Thank you Jess.

Not So Real Bands

Last night as I was driving home I drove past a bulletin board advertising Creedence Clearwater Revisited, and it got me thinking about how many bands are out there touring sans original members, and I don't like it. CCR - originally known as Creedence Clearwater Revival with John Fogherty as lead singer - had several hits, and were very big in the 70's. John then left the group, the band went away for a bit and then reformed changing their name slightly and going back out on tour. Is it the same? No. Is it as good? I don't think so.  Seeing this board advertising CCR made me think of two other bands that have replaced an integral member of the band, and continue to tour. I equate this to telling me Mr. Pibb is the same thing as Dr. Pepper, or replacing an actor who's been playing a certain character on tv forever and then bam! there's someone else playing that same character, and you're not supposed to notice. I'm not an idiot. So don't try to fool me with your trickery.

Wait. You mean they're not the same guy?

Poor Tabitha must have been so confused.

Styx - As I have mentioned in a previous post, Styx is one of my favorite bands and I have seen them live three times. The first two times were awesome, and I have so many great memories. The last time I saw them, was a horrible experience, and I haven't seen them since. The reason for this is because they got rid of one of their singers and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, who happened to be my favorite. The guy they replaced him with was supposed to sound "exactly" like him, and of course he didn't, and the concert was nowhere as good. I actually saw a recent picture of the band and saw that their original bassist Chuck Ponozzo left the band, and has since been replaced. Their original drummer John Ponozzo died in the 90's and was replaced back then, which is understandable. But when you get down to it, the only original members left are Tommy Shaw (whom of which joined the band a few years after they started, so not exactly original) and James Young. I'm really not sure how they can still call themselves Styx, but they are.


























Journey - Steve Perry as lead singer was solid gold. The songs were fantastic and his power-house voice was intoxicating. Then he went away made my favorite song ever Oh Sherrie (I really can't explain it). The band was reformed with an Asian dude who allegedly sounds "exactly" like Steve, and some say even better. I completely disagree. He sounds like he's trying too hard. Very reminiscent of Styx's replacement of Dennis.

Without going into a lot of depth, here are a few others that are out there touring without all of their original members:

The Beach Boys - No Wilsons at all. What?
Yardbirds - No Page, Beck, Clapton or Relf.  Not sure why they even bother.
Marshall Tucker - Only 1 original bandmember left
Metallica - Can't stand them, but still missing a couple people
Oasis - Those darn brothers just can't get along
Smashing Pumpkins - Billy Corgan is still there, but nobody else is.