I Never Met a Countdown I Didn't Like....

I’m kind of a sucker for video countdowns.  I get drawn in like a moth to a flame. (Yeah, I’m channeling a little Janet.)  Whether it’s year-enders, "best of" a decade, Justin Timberlake’s Sexiest, One Hit Wonders…..I could go on.  But the point is, without fail, I come across a countdown and about eight hours later I’m sidelined on the couch wondering where my day went. 

And while I love the color commentary of random comedians and “celebrities” (Audrina Patridge and some Jersey Shore-ers were on this last one) why must it always take 30 minutes to show the last five songs???  And it’s just a tease that they only show about 25 seconds of the actual song.  Color me perturbed.

Anyway…countdown watching isn’t just a procrastination method for me (that’s what cleaning the bathroom is for).  I fall into the countdown vortex and wind up having some sort of magical trip down memory lane. I’ve made multiple mentions of how music inspires my writing so there’s always the chance of song triggering an idea, or a sentence or a piece of dialogue.  Or it may help me set a scene.  Sometimes I rediscover songs that I totally forgot that I loved.  Or maybe, just maybe, a song I used to loathe gets a second chance.  I pretty much walk with a soundtrack playing in my head so it’s so very conceivable that I song I hated back in the day could totally resonate now.  And even though I can’t sing to save my life, music is pretty much everything to me.

So it’s no surprise that VH1 totally got me with their Top 100.  Now I’m used to all the 80s and 90s countdowns, which pretty much let me re-live my youth and, ahem, my high school and college days.  So imagine my surprise when the latest countdown was for the 00’s.  I’m speechless.  Not only is it a countdown I haven’t seen before but it’s also for a whole new decade of my life.  Possibilities?  Meet endless.

(Bee-tee-dubs, the whole “00’s” does not look as cool at the “80s” or “90s” did.  I mean a countdown for the double zeros?  Sounds like anorexic chicks.  Zero is not a size.  Don’t even get me started on the double z.  I digress.) 

So…it was me.  VH1.  And 100 songs from the double-oh’s.  Now I should be ashamed to admit that I don’t even know all the songs on the countdown.  Though I’m not sure if it makes me horribly uncool or just proves I am someone with fabulously good taste (I vote the latter) because I don’t know who the eff Chamillionare featuring Krayzie Bone is.  (And I have to say it absolutely annoys the hell out of me to deal with these stupid spellings for words that, um, already have a way to be spelled.  Krayzie = Crazy.  Just saying.)

Now if you want to jump ahead and read the whole list, I don’t blame you one bit.  I would do the exact same thing, so for those of you who are like me go nuts.

And now that you’re back (I hope!), while I won’t dissect the entire list and tell every little story I have, I will highlight my faves that I am SO happy to see made the cut.  In the order they appear on the list, but not necessarily the order they are in my heart (lol…that was very cheesy 80s, huh?), here goes:

#85 – “I Try” by Macy Gray:  I definitely cried with this song playing in the background.  A lot.  Break-ups require a soundtrack.  The timing of this song couldn’t have been better. (Unfortunately.)  The song is one, giant, amazing lyric.  I can’t even pretend to pick a favorite line.  Also reminds me of a scene in “Picture Perfect”, a very fun "vintage" Jennifer Aniston movie.  And a good dark horse for Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

#78 – “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s:  This song fully reminds me of a weekend I spent with a boy when we were still in the friend zone, but teetering on the edge of maybe more.  It seemed to come on the radio every time we were in the car.  I lived in NYC and he didn’t and I hoped, dreamed, that he felt the same and would someday sing this to me – “I've got so much left to say.  If every simple song I wrote to you would take your breath away, I'd write it all.  Even more in love with me you'd fall.  We'd have it all.  Oh it's what you do to me.”  Ah, that could have been a movie moment if he showed up on my doorstep singing.  He didn’t.  We had lots of great moments though and this song still reminds me of that weekend when there was the possibility of possibility. 

#75 – “I Don’t Want To Be” by Gavin DeGraw:  The theme to “One Tree Hill”.  If you need a bigger explanation, then you probably don’t know me at all and should just stop now.

#64 – “I’m Real (Murder Remix) by J. Lo with Ja Rule:  I rocked out to this song like only a white girl from Westchester can.  Can vividly remember buying this CD at Newbury Comics.  What can I say?  I like J. Lo the singer.  This song reminds me of driving around New Hampshire with one of my best friends, who pointed out the genius of “My life I live it to the limit and I love it.  Now I can breathe again, baby, now I can breathe again.”

#53 – “All the Small Things” by Blink-182:  So happy they made the list and while I think they have done more major (“Stay Together For the Kids” or “I Miss You” would have been my list choice) I so just love them and am happy to see they were invited to the party.

#49 – “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga:  Definitely epic.  She could have dominated the countdown.  Brilliant choice.  (Though why isn’t it higher on the countdown?)

#32 – “This Love” by Maroon 5:  I capital L LOVE this one.  An introduction to a series of great songs.  Some double entrondras.  Broken hearts.  Walking away because you have to. 

#29 – “Best of You” by Foo Fighters:  I’d be hard pressed to pick just one for the list and would absolutely lose Shaggy in exchange for “Times Like These”.  But this song is exactly what makes me love Dave Grohl.  I have blasted this song and run to it at the gym, rocked out on my commute and sang it at the top of my lungs in my apartment.  “Has someone taken your faith?”  Amazing lyrics.  This song gets better every time I listen to it.

#18 – “Beautiful” by Christina Aguliera:  Maybe I should be embarrassed, but I’m not.  I remember getting this CD (yes, actually buying the physical CD) when I was still living in Boston.  Fully blasted it.  The girl can sing. And I proudly sang along with her.  “Every day is so wonderful.  And suddenly it’s hard to breathe.”  “To all your friends, you’re delirious.  So consumed, in all your doom.” I hear you Xtina.

#17 – “Clocks” by Coldplay:  Agree it’s amazing.  Actually, oddly enough, reminds me of the trailer for that Peter Pan movie which I watched on a horrible turbulent plane ride (both literally and emotionally) from Arizona. The song itself is a fan favorite, but I’m not going to lie, where is “Fix You” and “The Scientist” and “Warning Sign”?  Maybe the countdown is about popularity and not just musical genius.  But kudos to “Clocks” for “cursed missed opportunities”.  Great line.

#16 – “Single Ladies” by Beyonce:  I love the video.  And have done the drunken, singing girl dance to this song many a times.  Weeeeeeeeee!  Hands in the air!  JT and Andy Samberg dancing on SNL in a bodysuit made it legendary.  Then I liked it less when every headline and Facebook post about some chick getting engaged had some version of “he put a ring on it”.  Retch.  Then I loved it again when “Glee” opened an episode in black and white with the dance by Kurt, Tina and Britney.

#15 – “Beautiful Day” by U2:  They can do no wrong.  Not enough time or words.

#13 – “American Idiot” by Green Day:  If you’ve been reading this blog at all you know Billie Joe Armstrong can do no wrong in my eyes.  This song is the gateway to a whole new era of Green Day and I think it was an amazing new world for them.  The guitar intro alone gives me the chills.  Their “Storytellers”, as I’ve gushed about already, is beyond.  Billie Joe as St. Jimmy on Broadway was one of the best nights of my life.  This song is very 2004.  It reminds me of my last few months in Boston and was absolutely a song and a CD I played on repeat while I was packing up my apartment.  This entire album is a win to me.  It’s like Sophie’s Choice having to pick just one song.

#8 – “Empire State of Mind” – Jay Z featuring Alicia Keyes:  New York City.  A fabulous anthem to my town.  The Yankees 2009 World Series.  Singing and dancing on a beach in Portugal.  “There’s nothing you can’t do.”  I take inspiration anywhere I find it.

#7 – “SexyBack” – Justin Timberlake:  Now, I was not an N*SYNC fan.  Partially because I was too old for that and being a fan would have been beyond shameful.  (Though I do love “Girlfriend”.  And know all the words to “Bye, Bye, Bye”.  And maybe to “Dirty Pop”.)  But beyond that confession, “SexyBack” is literally ah-may-zing.  (Do I need a new word for amazing?)  Good beat. New sound.  Risk taking.  Pushing the boundaries of what people expected from JT.  Absolutely makes me want to dance.  And when I do, I kind of feel like I *can* dance.  Justin makes triple threats looks lazy.   Deserves all the fan-fare in my opinion and this song just raised the bar.

#5 – “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson:  Love the Prince-ish “U” in the title.  Couldn’t care less about “American Idol” but as one of the commentaries in the VH1 countdown said, “every drunk white girl in the world knows this song”.  I SOOOOO eviscerated exes in my mind to this song.  It was the 2005 version of “You Oughta Know”.  Thank you, Kelly!

#4 – “Lose Yourself” by Eminem:  This is one of those songs that I shouldn’t like but I totally do.  I used to listen to this on my commute to Cambridge circa 2002.  Yet I listened to it while running on the treadmill last week.  The slow build up of the song is exquisitely done.  I’m so not a rap girl, but I do love this song.

#1 – “Crazy In Love” – Beyonce featuring Jay Z:  It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  Tremendous dance gone.  Start of something great from Bee.  I tried to sing along but still can’t keep up.  (Or understand half of what Jay Z is saying).  But what can I say?  I’ve been crazy in love.  And this song was everywhere.  Including my apartment!  Number 1?  Not so sure.  Top 10.  Absolutely. 

  

Now I would be remiss to not throw out a few digs, which pretty much means, I hate these songs and have no idea how they earned a spot on this list.  (Insert a growling, groaning, sneering, fist-shaking me.)

#69 – Evanescence – “Bring Me to Life”:  In all fairness I don’t even know what this song is. But Evanescence?  On a “best of” countdown?  Seriously?  We just broke up for a moment VH1.

#43 – Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”:  I have to say that I outright despise this song.  I’m not really a KP fan at all.  I’m still pissed about her whole slutting up Sesame Street.  A bustier?  Really?  It’s PBS and it’s for kids.  Regardless of the Elmo-offense, this song is so annoying to me.  Jill Sobule did a remarkable job in her song “I Kissed a Girl” in 1995 and I’d venture to guess few people in the 00’s era even knows it.  This song also reminds me of this loser guy an old friend of mine was in love with.  He couldn’t stop talking about how great it was to have a song about lesbians (such a chach) and when he wasn’t calling me “babe” he was calling me “a tall drink of water”.  Um, ew.  I need to shower his greasiness off of me all over again.

#41 – R. Kelly – Trapped in the Closet:  OMG.  No words.  Not even really a song.  The videos for this (I think there are like 10 of them) are so horribly awful they of course have a level of entertainment to them.  But this “song”.  Beyond terrible.  Where is Guster?  Vampire Weekend?  Snow Patrol?  The Fray?  I vehemently protest.  This does not deserve a place on the countdown.  "Ignition" I could have dealt with, but not this.  "Give me that toot-toot."

#9 – Mariah – We Belong Together:  Top 10?  For real?  Yes, she has a great voice. But I can’t stand the ballady crap.  Give me some “It’s Like That”.  Even “Heartbreaker” is tolerable.  The only thing redeeming about this song is that she made a video for it and Wentworth Miller is in it.  And he looks hot.  But I can’t see him while I’m listening to the song.

So there you have it.  I scratched the surface on the songs I love (sorry for leaving you out Gwen, Avril, and Brit), but there’s only so much time and space.  And there are a lot of songs that I LOVE that are so missing.  Which just means I’m going to have to make my own “missing from the best of” list.  But that’s another blog for another day. 

Since I always have to end on a song, I’ll give you just a taste of a song that was missing in action:

What songs would make your “best of” list?   Do tell!

An Apple a Day

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

I would be remiss not to write something about Steve Jobs.  As I type on my MacBook Pro.  Listening to iTunes.  Texting on my iPhone.  Tossing my iPod in my bag to listen to at work tomorrow.  Charging my Shuffle for the gym in the morning.  While streaming new episodes of Psych on my Apple TV.  So I guess that’s a little more than an Apple a day.  It’s my whole world.

And to digress for a moment  - new episodes of Psych start on Wednesday, which I am beyond excited about.  Capital L LOVE that show.  That’s a post all in and of itself.  I was trying to find a clip from the "Dual Spires" episode but couldn't find the one I wanted (Season 5 - stream it from Netflix). So for now there’s this video clip.  The endless tributes to the 80s is one of a zillion reasons I LOVE it. 

But back to Steve Jobs. Our first computer was an Apple and has been all my parents ever bought.  (These days, they are out-technologying me with their iPad.) When other people were getting IBMs or Commodores or whatever was hot in the 80s we had the IIc.  And honestly it was probably the only one in town.  By which I mean village because it was less than 10,000 people so we didn’t actually qualify for the “town” title.  Ah, suburbia.  At least NYC was only thirty minutes away. Alas, we were also the family with the Betamax and Colecovision. (VHS and Atari, what?)

“Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

My dad always did a lot of research and was all about the better product, even if it wasn’t the most popular product.  A rebel in his own time.  (Though really it was more about quality versus rebellion.  He’s really very much a creature of habit, which I’m sure is partly where I get it from.) 

Mousetrap  = Genius.  When the cat changes
into a dog and can eat the kitties.  Brilliant!

So what if we couldn’t rent movies and we only had about six video games?  We had Star Wars and Annie, which I beyond committed to memory.  AND I was amazing at Mousetrap and Donkey Kong and pretty good at Venture.  And was obsessed with Donkey Kong Jr.  Hello!  How freaking fun was it to leap from vine to vine?  I think being the different kid in town had long lasting effects in the sense that I don’t mind doing my own thing.  I fully admit that I followed the pack for a long time. (Who didn’t want to fit in?)  But eventually I figured out being different is better than okay.  I’m just saying.

And hello, years later EVERYONE is about Apple, so there you go.  I was a cutting edge kid.  And not gonna lie, I think Coleco was uber cool.

And while Steve Jobs absolutely was a game changer and world changer and revolutionized essentially how talk, listen, look and access information (and each other) he also said some pretty amazing things.  His Stanford Commencement speech is filled with pearls of wisdom and as I read it, I can’t help but stop and think about what I’m doing with my life.  What I want to do with my life.  What my dreams are.  What I wish I was doing. (Instead of just *talking* about what I wish I was doing.)  Thinking about the past.  About the mistakes.  (“Don’t forget.  No regrets.”)  About not repeating them.  And about trying to stay hopeful about my future.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them 

looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect 

in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, 

karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has 

made all the difference in my life.”

I have a lot to be grateful for and to be happy about.  The past month has been such a huge shift for the better that I’m almost waiting for the other shoe to drop.  (Glass half empty?  Me?  No!  Never!)  But there is a lot of good.  And there’s a lot I want to do.  And sometimes, sadly, it takes something tragic to make you stop and realize what you should be doing.  Should say.  Should let go of.  Should embrace.  Should be grateful for.  Should forgive. 

With much respect to a true innovator and inspiration, I hope I can channel even an ounce of the courage and imagination and drive that Steve Jobs had.  And to commit his words into how I live my life from this moment forward. 

“Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

      

Too Much Time in TV Land

So I’ve been saying how I’m just so damn busy and just don’t have the time to sit down and write. But then I was watching The Rachel Zoe Project which I obviously do have time to watch (three times) and just watching an 8-month preggers RZ style, Oscar prep, vintage shop, move, shoot endorsements and stay on top of Fashion Week from 3,000 miles away kind of makes me feel like a total slacker.  I guess there’s a reason she has an EMPIRE.  And I have a studio apartment.  And an office job.

Apples and oranges. 

And I get it – she has a staff and money and assistants and a hubby and full on bestie who happens to do hair and make-up.  And there are some people who just have exceptional energy and are driven beyond belief and that’s why they are who they are and where they are.  And I’m, well, me.  LOL!  Again, I joke.  But I do find a certain inspiration in the show (and I won’t lie…love seeing what she’s wearing and what she’s buying).  The morale of this little story is that yes, I’m tired and busy (it’s all relative) but I can certainly find an hour in my day to write since, as my story goes, this is what I want to be doing.  Writing is my version of achieving an empire.

So here goes…

I ended my third week in the new job and I honestly forgot what it’s like to be the new girl on the block.  But I’m hangin’ tough.  Now I have to detour and say that I actually met some girls who are legit NKOTB fans.  As in saw them in their 2011 reunion concert in multiple cities.  So for no good reason I have New Kids on the brain.  I wasn’t actually an NKOTB fan.  And to be fair part of the reason I’m sure is because I missed the boat on the NKOTB craze seeing as how I was a little too…ahem…old…when they hit it big.  But I’ve somehow managed to find a spot in my brain for their song lyrics.  Capital of South Dakota?  Got me.   Yet I can burst into “Your first kiss was a sweet kiss.  Second kiss had a twist.  Third and your fourth kiss I don’t want to miss…You’ve got the right stuff, baby.”  Okay, so maybe I was a little bit of a closeted fan, but my friend’s little sister was into them, so that’s why.  Yeah…yeah…that’s the ticket.

But back to me…the new job is starting to feel less surreal.  The first week it felt like a temp gig that I was going to have to leave (kicking and screaming), forced back to the old job.  Week two I started to remember some names, found some really cool girls to talk about things like Ringer with, figured out where the conference rooms are and was actually able to calm down enough to articulate my ideas.  Week three and I’m in full blown meetings, having crazy days and am just being thrown into the fire which is so much better than sitting at a desk and reading an employee manual because I didn’t know what else to do. 

But then I come home every night and I’m dead tired and useless and manage very little beyond TV or a book or the necessity of laundry.  (Ashamed how long it's taking me to finish the latest book too.  Sooooo off my game!)  I guess there’s also some latent stress going on beneath the surface.  Like that whole idea that if you can get your ass into good enough shape (and your metabolism to do some latent burning) that you can magically burn calories while sitting on the couch and watching The Lying Game.  Oh, how I love me some teen drama.   

So yes, my “busy” nights have also been filled with catching up on my DVR.  It’s that tough time of year when new TV shows are coming out and baseball is heading into the post-season and a TV addicted Yankee fan is caught between a rock and a playoff game.  But I’ve managed to do some juggling and while I’m a week behind I’m not above some prelim reviews of what’s the what:

Ringer:

Three words.  Sarah.  Michelle.  Gellar.  Loved her since the blink-and-you-missed-it cheestastic teen soap Swan’s Crossing.  Buffy goes without saying.  Ditto for Cruel Intentions.  And now Ringer.  Let me break it down.

SMG plays slightly estranged twin sisters.  There’s Bridget, the bad twin who wants to make good.  (Recovering addict, witnessed a murder, fleeing the FBI to start over just for starters.)  Then there’s good twin Siobhan who it turns out is actually badder than the bad twin. (Cheat on your hubby and fake your own suicide much?)  So Bridget assumes Siobhan’s identity and you guessed it…her upper east side life isn’t so charmed after all.  (Um, there’s sort of a hit out on her that her hubby may or may not have ordered.)  Dum, dum, dum.  (That’s my attempt at sinister music.)

It’s the CW’s version of film noir.  It's got the hot guy from Life, Interrupted.  There’s some bad special effects during the boat scene.  Mystery.  Intrigue.  And dead bodies that go missing.  If you weren’t hooked at S-M-G and you aren’t hooked by now, I’m at a loss. 

Next. 

The Rachel Zoe Project:

Should go without saying, that I’m obsessed.  Her one-liners are great this year.  Her clothes and jewelry are always mah-jor (to steal a Zoeism).  Loving everyone and don’t want it to stop.  I even watched Rachel peddle her line on QVC.  There’s a good chance I have a problem.

Castle:

The first episode was kind of on the dark side, which I suppose it had to be given that Beckett was shot in the finale.  I do prefer Castle when it’s lighter and comical. Sort of on the Remington Steele side of TV mystery.  But I’m sucked in and do really want to know who killed Beckett’s mother.  Also curious how they’ll handle the whole will they/won’t they this season. So far they’ve done a great job at keeping the tension alive without it getting ridiculous.  Plus a show about a successful mystery writer. Um, hello, dream, this is Audrey.

The Secret Circle:

I should really be more embarrassed than I am about this one. Now I will confess that part of the allure is this one is that it's based on an apparently very successful teen book series a la Pretty Little Liars.  But seeing as how I'm not 16 that really shouldn't be an endorsement for me to tune in.  Alas there are witches.  And the teen drama I kill for.  The daughter from Life, Interrupted. (Glad to see the CW is loyal to their actors from defunct shows.)  Jackpot, right?  Well I have to admit this was pretty painful even for me.  That said, I watched the first two episodes and recorded the third. I don’t like to give up too easily. 

Oh the absolute shame.  And sorry I have no
idea what any of your names are.

Short version – girl’s mother dies in mysterious fire.  Dad died right after she was born so she’s conveniently an orphan which opens the door for her to return to her mother’s hometown to be raised by her grandmother.  She then meets the children of her dead mother’s friends and what do you know….everyone is a freaking witch, including our main character.  (Bee-tee-dubs, I’m calling the main character “she” because I didn’t retain one person’s name.)  But orphan girl completes the magic witchy circle (which obvi must be kept a secret) and now they all have uber power  and did some ritual that makes them forever linked.  And you guessed it again!  They don’t all really like each other.  But they need each other.  Yeah, I know, it’s awful.  It even pains me to write about it.

That said, there are love triangles and general high school cliqueness and out of control witchcraft (oh boy did they make it rain...like literal hurricane) and bitchiness and some of the parents kept some secret crystal (everything is a secret in this creeper town) so they too can’t do some witchy-witch magic, even though they were supposed to be stripped of their powers when things got all out of hand some fifteen years ago.  Yup.  Bad just became worse.

I’m pretty sure I should have let this one go already, but it’ll provide some good background noise when I’m cleaning.  Plus I’m confident there will be some prize of a one-liner in there somewhere that I’ll need to relay.

Glee:

Finally back to the magic formula of Season 1.  Broadway music. Core characters.  Rachel being Rachel.  Kurt being Kurt. Only now he’s plus Blaine (who is the best thing that’s happened to the show besides Gwenyth and Idina). They’re doing West Side Story.  Mr. Shue is with Emma.  Sue is being Sue. If it ain’t broke……

Big thanks for two great episodes so far.  I’m back in.  Wholeheartedly. 

 The Good Wife:

I have my parents to thank for this one.  So if you’re not tuned in, get thee to your Nexflix account and begin at the beginning.  (Otherwise you will be so confused.)  There’s so much going on that I can’t even attempt to explain it.   But the Will and Alicia chemistry.  The still mystery of Kalinda.  Alan Cumming is genius.  (And love that I caught the tail end of Josie and the Pussycats while getting ready for work the other day.)  By far one of the best shows on TV in a very long time. 

Real Housewives:

Everything about watching the Beverly Hills season just feels wrong to me.  Even I have limits.  I’m watching.  But sort of with my hand over my eyes like I’m watching a horror movie.  I may have to let this one go.

What I am looking forward to though is the new New York cast.  I did tune into the post-firing interviews from Jill and Silex (who seem to be hinting at a spin-off.  Seri?  I beg you Bravo, DON’T DO IT!).  As for the ladies’ who won’t be returning….karma, karma, karma. 

And then there was baseball...

Okay, so last night’s game was postponed for rain, yet I still didn’t manage to get to the other shows that are filling my DVR - Desperate Housewives (Apple TV made me a slightly obsessed fan. Love the dark and twisty humor.)  Body of Proof (I’m one click away from dumping this show).  Gossip Girl.  I don’t even remember last season.  This is background noise with occasional good fashion.  I just keep hoping Chuck will go back to Season 1 Chuck and then maybe the show will be fun again. 

I know there’s other crap on there, but my mind is officially Jell-O.   It’s a wonder I make it out the door or off the couch or a hundred other things.  It reminds me of when I was little, planted in front of the TV (sometimes because we were sick…sometimes we were just plopped on the couch), my dad used to say my sister and I had boobitis.  (For those colored confused right now, boob tube = TV and too much TV = boobitis.)  So I’m fully looking forward to a Sunday of boobitis since there seems to yet again be a chance of rain for I think the 10th day in a row (this rain in making me mental).

Tonight's ALDS game has a good shot of getting played and there another one tomorrow.  And while I’d happily spend the day shopping for clothes I don’t need, when I should be home cleaning out my closet of all the clothes I already have and don’t need, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a lot of TV in my short-term future and I promise to tell you all about it.  The good. The bad.  The humiliating.

Happy watching!  


And if you too need a break from the boob tube I did manage to find a new song to be OBSESSED with.  Loving everything about this one.  

The entire song is one great lyric, but must single out "I simmer then I burn for a someone.  A wrong one." and "Maybe.  It's a vicious little word that could slay me."  Brilliant!  Who hasn't been there?

Big Bucket of Crazy Train

So the past six weeks have been nothing short of crazy.  And I mean C-R-A-Z-Y.  It’s been one of those spin cycles where I don’t remember having a moment to breathe, and I’m a girl who lives for downtime and being in control.  But that wasn’t my reality.  Allow me to break it down: 

• Fast-tracked job interviews. 
• Finalized my acceptance the morning I left for a fabulous two-week vacation in Portugal. 
• Came home. 
• Quit my old job. 
• And am now gearing up for a whole new professional life, which in a lot of ways means whole new life life (hello, commute that doesn’t involve getting on the subway ever again.  Love love love that part!) 

And I know these aren’t bad things, but it was a lot to juggle.  (I know…bitch, moan, bitch, moan…I got a new job and went on vacation…cry me a fricking river.  I know, I'm in position to complaint...just trying to lend a little perspective to why I’ve been off the map.) 

There was the typical post-vacation blues, which included the dreaded unpacking and the dreaded dealing with all the crap I debated packing and instead left piled on the couch.  (And for the record I was totally over the suitcase weight limit and got dinged on both ends for it.  That epically sucked.) 

Then there’s the typical emotional crazy that comes with endings and beginnings.  Yes, I surprised a few people when I got all girly-girl and shed some tears on the final day.  But in all fairness, there was champagne and cupcakes and then some wine involved.  The cupcakes have nothing to do with the crying, but they were fun so wanted to toss those in!  

Factor in my needing to return far too many impulse-shopping purchases (this is what happens when I lose control). I just read an article about an epidemic of sipping-and-clicking (great name!) aka drunk shopping.  Sadly I was sober for all my purchases so I have no excuse.  I’m fairly certain my horoscope said I was trying to fill some sort of emotional void.  That may be another reason I cried.  LOL!  I also have far too much good TV to catch up on (and by “good” I of course mean totally-indulgent-and-at-times-shameful) and came home to a pile of mail and September issues of about a dozen magazines.  What can I say?  Life has felt really overwhelming lately. 

So where do I begin?

I suppose at the beginning.  Or at least in Portugal.

I won’t even pretend to sugar coat it.  The trip was ahh-may-zing.  It was a total 180 from last year, which was one big party and I was stuck in one big rut.  I certainly had fun last year (um, how could I *not*), but this year was more like one long day at the beach with some partying and shopping in between.  (And is it just me or is shopping with euros kind of like shopping with Monopoly money?  I mean I did think a *little* harder about my overseas buys since I can’t conceivably return them.  Okay that’s a lie…I didn’t think too hard, but whatever, I love my new accessories!)  On top of that, I actually got a tan, totally let go and had a blast.  Allow me to demonstrate some highlights:

The beach in Cascais (aka home away from home)

View of Lisbon

Cathedral in Lisbon

The beach in Adraga.  Not so sunny but made for some amazing pictures.
Plus good food and great wine at the beach restaurant!

And then there was the token vacation theme song that was played at every club, bar, and thanks to a fabulous CD we got at the supermarket, it earned a lot of airtime in our rental car.  Now I should explain, that while there are many nice boys in Portugal, there are a lot of annoying ones at the bars that seem to have zero shame and an incredible amount of persistence.  Hence, this tune was super appropriate (and it’s just a damn great song):

  

Now last year we spent a few days in wine country, stomping grapes and drinking wine.  We decided to stay local this year, but did make a day trip to Fatima.  Now if you are wondering “what’s up with Fatima?” then you are in good company because it appeared I was the only person on the entire planet who didn’t know the legend of Fatima.  Long story short, it is said the Virgin Mary appeared to three Shepard children in 1917 and the place has become a sacred destination for millions each year.  (Happily not millions on the day we were there!):  

I know I should be embarrassed to not know anything about this, given I spent a lot of years in CCD classes.  Though truth be told I kind of lost faith in that process somewhere in elementary school when the teacher, in an effort to show why bullying was mean, decided to make a play on my name and repeatedly called me “Egghead” in front of the class.  She taunted me (or at least that’s how it feels in my memory) and all the other kids in the class laughed at me as she chanted “Egghead!  Egghead!”.  Thanks to her, this nickname and the teasing stuck with my classmates for a while.  Gee, thanks.  I mean is this what Jesus would have done to an innocent child spending in her Saturdays in religious education?  I’d like to think not. 

But anychildhoodtrauma, the experience in Fatima turned out to be much more than I expected.  I don’t mean to get all serious on you, but it was a pretty surreal experience.  There were some visitors who camped out and others who literally approached the shrine on their knees, in penance.  And if you look at the plaza you will see this was not a short distance.  But what was most interesting to me is that The Basilica of Fatima isn’t necessarily a place of worship, but more of a place of prayer and thanks, a place to pay tribute, to light candles and make your own silent wishes and vows.  I suppose, as with anything, it’s what you make of it.

I was completed impressed with the architecture and just the vast size of the plaza.  But what I was most in awe of was the “candle lighting”, if I can even call it that.  You can buy candles (for those wishes and favors and vows) and then place them in what is essentially a giant open fire pit next to the Shrine of Fatima.  I was completely unprepared for how hot the open flames were and well, how scary the giant open flames would be.  Especially with the wind whipping around.  And all the small children around, who being typical children seemed to have zero fear about sticking their hands into an open fire pit. I was full on shaking-like-a-leaf because I was convinced that if I didn’t at least burn my hand then my sunglasses would definitely melt into my face. Seriously.  An indescribable heat.  But I did it and must confess, I’m glad we went.  It was very much what I would consider a once in a lifetime experience. 

We were also lucky enough to be in Cascais during the America’s Cup (who knew?), which meant not only were there tons of sailors in town (Yahtzee!) but there were tons of parties and free concerts and live events.  So we danced and played and met all sorts of people, which let’s face it, is so much of what vacation is really about.

I have to say one of my favorite things is discovering new music (even if that music is fifteen years old and I just forgot how great it was).   The funny thing about MTV in Portugal is a lot of the music is a decade behind and they do these little video montages where they play snippets of about 15 videos.  The problem is they had two montages in rotation so after two weeks I was desperate to hear the full version of countless songs.  I was also desperate to figure out some of the songs in the montages that we didn’t know…hence the discovering of new, but not new new music. 

I think the first thing I did when I got home was download the songs I didn’t have and added them to the ones I did have into a playlist.  Now I will fully ride the wave of these songs for entries to come, but for now, this is the one taking the cake.  Bummed I couldn't find the actual video since I saw snippets of it fourteen days straight so I know it exists:

I would also suggest checking out “You’re Fit But You Know It”, also by The Streets, which was a One Tree Hill Season 2 find.  (Sidebar…Chad Michael Murray is going to do some Lucas guest appearances for the final season. Um, thank you TV gods for making my Tuesday nights that much sweeter.  Double sidebar…I’m crazy excited for the new Sarah Michele Gellar show Ringer.  She had me at Swan’s Crossing.)

But back to Portugal (I wish I was back in Portugal….on the beach….drinking sangria), it was amazing.  And is officially the annual girls trip.  And this year’s coming to an end just means we get to start planning next year’s.  And the entire trip came full circle in that it was raining when we landed and after the rain let up we went to a soccer (er, football) game and saw fireworks.  On our last night, we got to see the end of a James free concert and once again, fireworks.  And as fate would have it, it rained when we left, which is the only thing that helped us be a little less sad about heading to the airport instead of the beach.

So that’s it for me.  Honestly I want to get ready to tune into Rachel Zoe on QVC.   Her new luxe line is premiering and I’m a sucker for her.  I’m almost done catching up on everything on my DVR (I've become derailed with the US Open too...again, who knew?) and with all the new shows coming out and the ones that are already going (Rachel Zoe, Real Housewives of BH, The Lying Game) there’s a good chance I’m going to be filling future blogs with my TV addiction.  Consider yourself warned.

Until then, I leave you with a little bit of 1993.  Happy listening!!!

Another Ode To Andy

Once again I find myself in an Andy Cohen worship mode.  So in honor of Andy, this is what I’m obsessed with this week:

The Real Housewives of New York:

Okay, I’ve watched the reunion (both dreadful parts) and Andy nailed it on the head.  The women *were* acting like beasts.  I was horrified.  It was probably one of the worst reunions I’ve ever seen.  These women seem to just loathe each other.  What a bitter, conniving bunch of not-so-pretty little liars.  (Heart you ABC Family.  Your show is far more entertaining and earns my good-vibe obsession.)

Now I know women are tough.  We can be mean and competitive and catty and hurtful and lots of other bad things.  I’ve had failed friendships.  I was in a sorority. I get it.  But holy crap with the nonsense these women pull.  And not for nothing, but they have you on video.  Just own what you said and what you did.  Don’t try to be all “I wasn’t trying to be mean.”  Yeah you were!  Stop trying to deny it.  It’s not fun getting caught in a lie.  Probably worse when they can cue the video.  So if you’re going to be on reality TV just own the shitshow that is your show. 

And I’m sorry Ms. Zarin, but you still come off looking like an asshole.  You were an asshole last season with all your Bethenney crap.  You looked like an asshole when you showed up on Watch What Happens Live after your liquid face lift, awful extensions and attempt to recapture Madonna circa the Blonde Ambition tour.  And you don’t “own it”.  You make excuses.  I loved you in the first two seasons but have to agree with the blondes - you haven’t much changed.  You were far more fun in your cheesy outfits, walking out of Fashion Week in a snit because you weren’t in the front row. 

This scarf:

 Now it never fails that I will fall in love with something at J. Crew and impulse purchase it and then within a few weeks it will go on sale.  Always outside my chance to get a price adjustment. ALWAYS.  So when I saw this scarf in the store I added it to my sale-stalking list.  And I stalked and stalked. For like two months.  And nada.  No accessories promotion.  No 20% off your total order.  Zilch.  Bupkus. 

So I caved and I bought it anyway. 

But the joke’s on you J. Crew because I bought it with my Fall Rewards card so technically it’s like the scarf was free!  Though I realize the only reason I “earned” the rewards card is because I spent so much goddamn money last quarter and you send this card as a clever device to get me to buy more.  Oh, J. Crew you clever minx! 

But I love it and I wanted it and it will gets lots of play time in my rotation.  And at the end of the day it’s like Lenny Kravtiz’s mama said, “love’s all that matters.”  Well said, Roxie! 

(An epilogue to this lust-fest….I got an email from J. Crew today that I get 20% off my next order plus free shipping.  DAMN YOU J. CREW.  But yeah, I’ll still buy crap I may not need before the offer expires.  You.  Get.  Me.  Every.  Time.)

These Tory Burch boots:

I saw them in the Nordstrom Anniversary catalogue and was in love.  Beautiful boots that I suddenly must have.  The fact that they were like 40% off at the time was just a bonus.  Kind of like a movie with Bradley Cooper.  (The must have.) And then he takes his shirt off.  (Bonus!)

Alas, I hopped on the website when the sale went live and zilch.  They didn’t even exist when I searched for “Tory”.  Like the obsessive-compulsive girl I am, I entered the style number from the catalogue and shazam! there they were.  With three sad words on top.

“No Longer Available.”

WTF?  Already?  A little more investigating and I find out there was a pre-sale for Nordstrom cardholders.  That’s crap.  (I’m having a falling out with Bloomies where I do have a store card, so refuse to align myself with yet another department store at this stage of the game.) 

But whatever.  Sale.  Schmale.  I’ve paid full price before. (The JC scarf just proved that point.)  So I waited for the sale to be over and back to Nordstom.com I go.  And once again…zilch.  The goddamn boots are gone, baby, gone.  And they don’t think they are getting anymore in stock.  WHAT?  And they’re a Nordstrom exclusive.  In the words of any character on Grey’s (when the show was still good) – “SERIOUSLY?” 

And I’ll admit it.  Now that I know I can’t have them, I just want them more. Grrrrrrrrr.

Packing for Portugal: 

I am a planner.  I like to know the who, what, when, where, why (and sometimes how).  Blame it on journalism school.  But I don’t like to be caught unprepared. I am the girl who carries everything from band-aids to safety pins to Advil to bobby pins to gum.  I also carry some version of make-up, pen, paper, tissues, lip balm and allergy pills.  Mock me if you will, but someday you’ll thank me. 

So it should go without saying (too late!) when I’m prepping for a vacation (international on top of that), I would make a list, check it twice (minimum) and probably a week out, let the packing begin.  There would be pre-shopping and special purchases and more lists.  Editing the wardrobe.  Making new additions.  Buying a purse.  Trying on a lot of clothes.  Figuring out accessories.  Buying snacks for the plane.

But something totally un-me happened this year in that I didn’t do any planning.  I bought some 50 SFP suntan lotion right after we booked the trip. (I’m pale and not stupid.  Or at least not stupid anymore.  Falling asleep on a roof deck and burning your eyelids tends to teach a girl a lesson!)  But after that purchase I suddenly stopped being the high-maintenance, fairly obsessive, W.W.W.W.W. and sometime H. neurotic version of myself.

So for now all I can hope is that I’m packing right:

(Should I be at all concerned that I have more space for shoes, accessories and products that I do for clothes?)

I know I can always buy whatever I need, but I like to be prepared.  And to have options.  Variety is the spice of life, right?  Well, as one of my travel companions pointed out today, reruns are totally fine.  No judgment.  (Thank God for friends like her!)

So I’m throwing caution to the wind and just trying to go with the flow.  It’s been a phase of “so not my life” moments these days.  Maybe I could blame Mercury and it’s damn retrograde but right now I just hope I didn’t forget to pack anything critical!

Like I Love You:

Thanks to a JT video marathon on Fuse, this tune made my Portugal shuffle mix.  What can I say?  This is one of his best. 

So that’s it for now.  Am sure I’ll come back with a story of two.  Will just be a matter of deciding if what happens in Portugal stays in Portugal….