Mostly Fairy Tales

Okay, so today the Packers won in a very close game.  That I really didn't watch.  I don't know why, but I just cannot seem to sit through a game that's already over.  I can watch it live, but if it's recorded, I just can't get into it.  By halftime, I'd already cracked and check online for the results...

But Sundays now mean more than just football (as if that's not enough).  Once Upon A Time started today and I must say, I did not see that end coming.  My mom was in the living room, and I had to keep pausing to explain ("She's been outside so she's aged, but they've been in this town and they haven't aged", "There's two timelines, the fairytale world and the real world", "She's the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and he's her son").  And then my mom made a duh comment and said this show was such an Elizabeth show.  Fairy tales?  Curses?  A crossing of two worlds?  The only thing it's missing is a space ship.  And maybe a superhero (although you could argue that the heroes of fairy tales are proto-superheroes). 

While watching the show, I'm thinking that it's not exactly the best episode and the action sequences could really use some work.  I'm watching and pausing whenever mom starts talking about something so I don't miss anything, and raising and lowering the volume as needed, but I'm not as engaged as I have been in some episodes.  And then the bomb drops at the very end: Sleeping Beauty and Mulan are in Real Time, not some flashback to the fairytale world, but in the fairytale world itself right now. As soon as the initial OMG-Didn't-see-that was over, I immediately worded a text to Ashleigh along the lines of "What the heck!?! NOT a flashback?" and then saved that as a draft in case she wasn't watching live and sent one that was more like "Did you see that!?!" Although both drafts used copious amounts of caps lock (I think I used up my monthly caps lock ration for this blog yesterday).  So, how long until next Sunday?

A Real Short Rant

I just have one little rant to put up here, and only because it's screaming to get out of me but I can't write it or talk about it anywhere else...

If I have given up hours at worked and rode a packed bus an hour one way just so I can spend some time with you DO NOT spend the entire time talking about all your problems with you classmate, giving me impossible situations and telling me to tell you what to do.  I don't know what's going on; I don't know who these people are and you've kind of made yourself into what an English major would call an "unreliable narrator."  I am your friend NOT some genius of social interaction and I do not always know what you should do, especially when I have never met the people you are having problems with.  DO NOT get mad at me when I don't respond or if I say "I don't know what to tell you" after you've shot down or ignored what little advice I felt safe to give you.  I do understand that that can be frustrating for you to have a friend unable to help you, but it's also frustrating to me when you expect me to have the answer to all your problems.  You are welcome to talk about them to me, but I do not have all the answers and don't expect me to. 

And if I've given up a shift at work so I can write a 10-page paper on Othello and King Lear but still show up and hang out with you for six hours, understand that I really gave up that shift so I can spend that time with you AND DO NOT LAY A GUILT TRIP ON ME!  I am here, spending time with you, at the expense of a paper and my paycheck, so you are OBVIOUSLY important to me and I don't appreciate you constantly commenting on how I am never there for you BECAUSE I AM STANDING RIGHT THERE, LISTENING TO YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS FOR THREE HOURS STRAIGHT (after watching a movie I had no interest in seeing and only went to because I knew you wanted to see it and I know things have been rough for you). AND I AM TRYING TO GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE, EVEN IF IT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR!  And then it drives me even more crazy, when you act like hanging out with you is SUCH an imposition.  The way you're acting, it is!  This is the 2nd time in a row I've gone out with you and felt like crap afterwards.  I understand you've having issues with other people, but stop letting it control the little bit of time we have to hang out together!

I am a senior, I am working almost triple your hours at work, and I live an hour (minimum) outside the city, as the bus drives (and with gas as expensive as it is, that's how I'm getting around).  I have just given up what practically amounts to my entire day, minus a few hours in the evening.  I haven't seen Amy since the beginning of August and the only reason I've seen Lindsay recently is because she lives right next to where I work.  I'm not ignoring you or avoiding you or dropping you for new, more exciting people; I just haven't had the time/energy to spend time with any of my friends SO TRUST ME AND BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU SO!  Stop getting so jealous because I have other friends.

*Deep Breath*  I feel so much better now.

Thank God for Film Class and Football

Thanks to my Film & Lit class, I have fallen in love with Zorro.  For class, I've had to read the original Zorro novel (The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley; although the novel has been published under several different titles over the years) and watch The Mark of Zorro (1920) and The Mark of Zorro (1940).  Okay, I'll admit I like reading pulp fiction novels although my mood wasn't right and I had a hard time getting through it; it was doubly frustrating because I know there are times I would have devoured the book.  I wasn't sold until the 1940s movie.  And then I not only bought a ticket, but wanted as many different tickets as I could possibly get... I get all girly and squealy just thinking about it.  So, of course I figured if I was practically swooning over some guy I've never heard of who doesn't have a sexy accent, I'd go into cardiac arrest if I watched Antonio Banderas.  I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the The Mask of Zorro (1998), but 1940 wins.  I am totally writing my final paper for this class on Zorro.  And when I was doing some preliminary research (okay, I was trying to appease my not-so-inner fangirl), I saw something about a reboot coming out in 2014...  Because I don't have enough movies scheduled to come out way in the future to look forward to... (Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World in 2013, Captain America: The Winder Soldier in 2014 [SQUEE!!!], Avengers 2 in 2015...) Okay, so I love superhero movies.  Superheros and Sci-Fi.

Speaking of men that make my heart pound, today I finally was able to have a conversation with a very cute regular, and all because of football.  Yeah!  Okay, I'm sad, I know.  But he is SO cute and military (okay, a Marine, but I might make an exception for him if he ever gave me the time of day) and he's never come in with a girl or even grabbed an extra sub.  Might have a long distance relationship, but I don't think he has anyone in Honolulu, which makes him being single more likely.  And he came in with a friend today who was wearing a Saints shirt, so I made a comment about them being 0-3 and the conversation took off from there.  I know, it's so high school to get excited like that over finally talking to that cute guy (besides the "How can I help you today?" questions) but I just can't seem to help it.

Lots of TV and a Little Self-Pity Party

Once upstairs last night, I was too tired to give an opinion (besides "Stupid Refs") so I went quietly to bed.

Pamela Anderson is gone on DwtS, thank God.  There's really not much else to say.  It's still the beginning of the season and I haven't picked out my favorites yet (the only thing I knew was that I wanted Fake Boobs gone...)

I enjoyed both episodes of New Girl.  Even better, my mom enjoyed it to; I had to rewind to everyone's reactions to Jess losing her job because my mom was laughing so hard she wanted to see it again.  And then I had to pause and wait for her to calm down so I could hear the TV.  It was all because of Schmidt.  Well, Schmidt and Obama...

I also managed to sneak Castle in today before work, mostly because the girl I was working with also watches Castle and I was hoping to discuss it with her.  She had the TV on while she was in the room, but didn't remember a thing about it (probably fell asleep in front of the TV).  I admit I had been kind of avoiding the episode because it was obviously one of the episodes about Kate's mom and I tend to not enjoy those as much.  Still, once I sat down and watched it, I found myself enjoying it and was almost late for work because I had to watch all the way to the end.

Today, I am a proud member of the Packer Nation.  Why?  Because Green Bay fans have a sense of humor.  First, you have the Replacement Weather Guy, and then I heard about an eye doctor in Green Bay that is offering free lasik to any replacement refs.  

Aside from the news that the real refs are back and the fact that I managed to get four-and-a-half hours into my shift before a twinge reminded me to wrap my ankle, this afternoon has pretty much sucked.  Work was a nightmare, with non-stop customers that kept Ashley and I from cleaning, thereby keeping us there until almost 10.  And then I got home and got on Facebook and saw that one of my best friends from high school got engaged.  My first thought was "Congratulations Trish!" and that lasted until after I told her so on her wall.  And then the depression sunk in.  Kylie and Tim are getting married next week already; sure, I've barely talked to Kylie at all since high school, but some of the friends I have managed to keep in touch with are still close to the two of them.  And aside from Ashleigh (who is driving me crazy right now) and Amy (who is single by choice) all my friends out here are getting engaged and/or having babies.  My cousin Stacey, who's younger than me, just had a baby girl and let's not get into the four weddings in a year and a half that I just had on that side of the family (including Stacey's).  I'm 24 years old, still in college with no boyfriend and no prospects.  It is depressing to be surrounded by people having babies and getting married, even if a lot of the people are mostly people I keep up with on Facebook now a days.  So, I'll let myself drown in a little self-pity tonight and tomorrow, I'll get up and face the day with a bright, positive outlook. 
Because, hey, if I can go more than four hours non-stop at work, maybe a hike is only 2 weeks away, instead of 3; and maybe I can start wearing heels again next week.  And one day, I will meet the guy God has planned for me.  And I have a job.  And life IS good.

Hidden Power

"Lifes not fair" That is the exact text my father sent me while I was still screaming like a banshee over the results of the review of that final call in the Packers-Seahawks Monday Night Football game.  "Theres other four-letter words id use to describe THAT call" but my father didn't respond to my text.  I can't take these refs anymore.  I really can't.  I was stressing about how the Packers were playing but I was also stressing about these loose-cannons on the field; these refs have proven they have the power to decide the game so let's put someone there who actually knows what they're doing.  I woke up Monday morning to my mom's favorite news channel talking about the bad calls at the Ravens - Patriots game and to be honest, it made me afraid.  I even said it yesterday: "bad refs are bad football."  And so, until the real refs get back on the field, I'm not watching any more games.  I can't stand to watch any more teams, whether I like them or hate them, lose a game because of multiple bad calls by the officials.  I'll check the scores online, maybe follow a game on NFL.com, but I am not sitting down in front of a TV where I'll actually see what's going on.  Not until it's a game worth watching.There is one loophole in that promise, and that's for my birthday party, which I've been planning since the 2012 schedule was released.

Thank God there was more TV on afterwards to get my mind off the game ('cause the forced trip to the beach didn't help).  After our post-game, let-the-dog-run beach jaunt was over, Mom and I settled right back down in the living room and watched Dancing with the Stars and Revolution. 

I really don't have much to say about DwtS right now.  I'm sure I'll have something to say about it tomorrow after the first couple gets the boot, but I was still too mad to really enjoy the show and didn't get much beyond "I hate her outfit" and Google searches on the various stars (most of whom I've never heard of before; a side effect of not following pop culture since the 90s, I suppose).

Here's my take on Revolution's second episode: If there is not some character growth for Charlie, and fast, I will most likely stop watching this show.  The premise is pretty cool, the sets are amazing, most of the characters are likable, or at least watch-able, but Charlie is driving me crazy.  I can't take much more of her self-important, self-absorbed quest to prove she's always right.  If hers is a coming of age story, she better start learning soon.  It's the trailer for next week, more so than the end of this weeks episode, that's getting me to watch one more week.

I'm sure I'll have more to talk about tomorrow (I still have an episode of Castle in my DVR and then tomorrow is the first DwtS elimination and the season premier of New Girl) and I originally planned on waiting and posting this all tomorrow, after I watched all that, but I think I have enough to say to warrant a post tonight after all. Tonight's final message:
My Facebook feed is full of people, Packers fans and fans of other teams begging for a bit of sanity to be returned to "America's Obsession"

Are you ready?

It's Monday today, which means several things this week:
1. Both Castle and Dancing with the Stars starts tonight.
2. It's Revolution night as well.
3. Finally, and most importantly, it's time for

Monday Night Football: Packers vs. Seahawks, Baby!

Okay, so I'm sad.  No, I'm not. I refuse to call myself sad because I love football. If anything, people who don't watch it or guys who let themselves be out-screamed or out-knowledged by a girl are the sad ones.  So, it the world of football:

Teams I Want To Lose (from least hated to most hated): 

• Dallas Cowboys: 2-1 - Blegh!
• New Orleans Saints: 0-3 - Not gonna being doing bounties anymore, are ya?
• New York Giants: 2-1 - Double Blegh!
• New England Patriots: 1-2 -  Thank you, horrible call of the Refs!  No, not really, because bad refs are bad football, even if it causes the team you hate to lose.
• Chicago Bears: 2-1 - At least ya'll had the grace to lose to the Pack!
• Minnesota Vikings: 2-1 - That's not good news!

Teams I Like (in no particular order):

• Baltimore Ravens: 2-1
• Tennessee Titans: 1-2
• Detroit Lions: 1-2 - Okay, so I have a really hard time cheering against the Lions because they've been so pitiful these last few years... And if anyone else is getting the NFC North play-off spot, they are SO much better than the Vikings or Bears

So what does it all mean to the uninitiated?  Well, it means there are a fair number of teams I passionately hate (and that number only tends to grow as the season commenses) and a few teams I like to see win.  But mostly, it means that my enjoyment of Sundays during the fall centers around the fate of one team, a team that must beat the Seahawks tonight to maintain their place at the top of their division.  And so, all day today, I will be wearing my oversize Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers Away Game jersey in a visual cheer that the Packers will never see or hear. But it makes me feel better to be such a visual part of the Packer Nation.

Buried it Pillows

Today was a cloudy, rainy day.  Surprisingly, even in Hawaii, that can make for a miserable, chilly day if you happen to get wet and spend any amount of time in AC.  So, someone who busses in from the other side of the island (usual time spent at bus stops is probably between 15 and 30 minutes) and goes to the Catholic school (where the AC can make even a hot day uncomfortably chilly when you have classes back-to-back for 6 hours).  On top of that, I've had a persistent headache for the past three or four days.  So by the time Mom picked me up from Wal-Mart, I was in a pretty miserable mood.  But I got home, warmed up a plate of food, piled pillows on myself and settled down to watch TV with my mom anyway.

Sometime last week, I was skipping through commercials when a name caught my eye: J.J. Abrams.  I stopped, backed up, watched the commercial in question from the beginning and continued to let commercials roll as I found it on the guide and set it to record the pilot episode of the show.  I thought it looked kind of interesting and the name in question just so happens to be one of my brother's favorite directors, so...

Mom and I watched the pilot episode of Revolution without him today.  As soon as it was over, I asked Mom for the remote and she said "You're going to set it up to record the next episode, right?"  I wasn't overly impressed but it was the first episode and I wasn't particularly unimpressed (although I admit to making a game out of calling out what was going to happen next).  There was enough of a hook at the end and enough promise in the series to keep me watching for another week at least.  I think Mom was more taken with it than me.

Then I watched a Ghost Hunters that had the first investigation in Waipahu.  So, they were investigating in Waipahu, on the south side of the island, just west of the middle.  Their hotel looks an awful lot like the hotel I swim near when I do Waikiki with Lindz and them (south-east part of the island) but they kept driving in front of an island that is on the north-east area and IT DROVE ME CRAZY!  I don't know why, but it did!  They had no reason to be over there, investigation-wise at least, unless I am totally mistaken about the hotel.  The investigation wasn't all that shocking (footsteps is all you could get?) but it was kind of cool to see one done where I live.  I mean, shoot, I ride H-1 past Waipahu more days than not.  And then, last October, I remember a group of my friends trying to go to the Haunted Plantation they do there and not being able to get in because it was already sold out.

Despite the motrin I downed 30 minutes ago, my headache is getting worse, not better, so the other thing I wanted to talk about (I know there was one more thing!) is going to have to wait until I remember it and it doesn't hurt to look at a computer screen.

Today, I took my cat and my mom's cat to the pet store to get their nails clipped.  Both of our cats have been indoor/outdoor cats since we got them seven years ago (has it really been that long), so that's claws on eight different paws to clip and since our cats both have a bit of a wild streak, mom and I opt to pay someone else to do the dangerous job for us.  My mom's cat, Kissa, was hanging out downstairs near the food bowl, trying to get me to realize that there were only a few crumbs left and I should feed her and my cat was hiding upstairs somewhere when I decided it was time to head out.  Instead of feeding the cats (which I knew would get them both downstairs and on top of the little bookshelf) I hauled both cat carriers inside and got them set up: I threw one of my dirty shirts in the one that still had a pad on the bottom for my cat and put Kissa's little rug in her carrier before pulling out the almost empty bag of cat food and filling up their food.  Just as I expected, Sisu came running downstairs to eat, but Kissa was much more intrigued by the new additions to the living room.  She went over and sniffed all around the door to her carrier, finally sticking her head inside and sniffing inside a few times. Suddenly, she stiffened, and had she been able to speak English, I'm sure it would have gone something like this: "Oh, s***!  I know what this is!" Luckily, I was right behind her by then and was able to get her in the carrier before she got away, but she wouldn't shut up the entire way to the store or home.  At least she was well behaved at Pet Co; since my cat's difficult behavior is the opposite of Kissa's (she's fine in the car, but difficult at the groomer's or vet's) "they both have a chance to shine" (my Dad).

I watched the so-called apparition episode of Ghost Hunters.  Yep.  It's pretty freaky.  I now understand, though, why I could never find a screen shot of it: unless you actually see it form and disappear, it looks like someone is just standing in front of the camera, half-blocking the shot.  I was very careful to save this episode to watch with my Dad later.  Ghost Hunters is about the only show we can both agree on, so I try to make an effort to save the really good episodes for him.  Unfortunately, autopilot usually kicks in.

Fall Season

I have never in my life even mildly felt like a slave to TV; in fact, I've always been one of those odd-balls who barely watches it, except for a movies or something when bored.  That's changed since I moved out to Hawaii.  And new episodes are starting this month for my shows:

Ghost Hunters has already started and I am definitely getting more than recommended doses of the paranormal.  I think there's something like 12 episodes in the DVR right now.  The other day, I sat through the entire movie of Gran Torino (and I DO NOT DO dramas like that; they piss me off for days; in fact, I'm still mad about it) just so I would have first dibs on the TV when Mom was done with her stupid movie and could watch another episode of Ghost Hunters or two before bed.  And yesterday, when I was checking the scheduled recordings, I got all excited because one of the episodes, according to a Google search I've done two or three times, supposedly has AN ACTUAL APPARITION!  The new episode that aired last Wednesday was good, too.  In fact, it was so good, I was planning on saving it for my Dad to watch, but erased it out of habit.  Darn it.  It was actually looking to see if they were going to be replaying it in the next few days that I found the episode I've been dying to see...

The 24th of this month (not this coming Monday, but the following one), Dancing with the Stars and Castle starts.  I LOVED last season of DwtS, but if someone doesn't catch my interest the first few weeks, I can easily see this show going on a shelf.  Let's face it, I would not have started the show last season if Donald Driver hadn't been one of the contestants, and if my favorite contestants (because, yes, I found several people I was cheering for) hadn't lasted till the very end, I probably wouldn't have stuck with it.
As for Castle, I watch that show for one reason: Nathan Fillion and I don't see his character changing enough for me to stop.  But that's always been a very casual watch on my list.

The following day is New Girl.  Zooey Deschanel.  That about covers my attraction to this show.

September 30th is when things really get good: Once Upon A Time!  Probably my favorite show last year (although if Psych hadn't had such a time lag, there would have probably been some competition).  I can't wait for the new season, when hopefully, my suspicions about deal old Rumpelstiltskin are finally answered (although, the season finale did not look good).  EEE!  So excited.  I need to rewatch this show soon it's all fresh in my mind when the new season starts.

And my last show stubbornly refuses to release the date of the first episode of the next season.  After ending season 6 on such a cliffhanger.  Curse you, USA!  Just tell my when Psych will be back already!