Happy Thanksgiving!

Things I'm thankful for in 2008:

• At the top of the list is, and always will be, my close group of friends who continue to be so supportive as I struggle to get all of my shit together. I am truly blessed to have such beautiful people in my life.
• Speaking of friends...I'd never thought I'd say something like this, but I'm actually thankful for a stupid little networking site like Facebook for putting me back in touch with so many people that I haven't been connected with in years. It's been great getting to know folks again.
• While my dad's health hasn't been good this year, I am thankful that our relationship is improving and we're getting along better. I am also thankful that Sharon is still here to enjoy the 2008 holiday season.
• And I'm thankful that I've taken time this year to try and get my head on straight and to try and take time "for me". I know I could do better with this but at least I'm trying.
• Finally, I'm glad 2008 wasn't 2007.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

This week in TV season finales

Ok, let's talk about the first season finale of HBO's True Blood. It was awesome, and yet a little upsetting.
I've read 3 of the Sookie Stackhouse mystery novels by Charlaine Harris that the show is based on, and I had been pleasantly surprised at the things the show had kept the same as books, the things they changed, and the new elements they'd added. But as the season progressed I started to figure out that they were probably going to still make (spoiler alert!) Rene the killer like in the book, even though they'd expanded his character for the show and had made him so damn likeable! It didn't hurt that the actor playing Rene, Michael Raymond-James, is so cute and likable with his (fake, yet realistic) cajun accent.
Then last night at the end of the finale they (spoiler alert!) killed my favorite character Lafayette! So sad about this. Nelsan Ellis was so amazing in this role. In the books Lafayette is a very minor character that is killed in the beginning of the second book and whose murder sets up the plot for that installment. But on the show they'd made this character the most dynamic and likeable of the supporting players, so I thought there might be a chance that they would postpone his murder for awhile; like maybe the end of the 4th season?

So now with 2 of the 5 reasons that I watch the show gone, I'm hoping that season 2 won't be a disappointment. Maybe they can make Lafayette a ghost character that Sookie or Tara can talk to in visions? It is a show by Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under") afterall.


Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making The Team 3 - This show is probably my guiltiest of guilty pleasure reality shows. I. Love. It. Can't get enough of it. I wish that every episode was an hour long like the first and last eps of each season. I can't explain how caught up I get in the training candidates attempts to make it on this year's squad. I'm way too invested in some of the veterans; desperate to see if my faves like Brooke, Kandi, and Deryn make it another year.

I'm not sure whether it's the bitchiness and control-freakedness of Kelli Finglass that I love to hate or the way too bubbly goody-goodness of most of the auditioners, or my fondness for the team from the 1970s that were on two (TWO!) episodes of the "The Love Boat", that makes me so obsessed with this show, but I'm always so disappointed when the seasons end. Can't we follow the squad throughout the NFL season?! Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait for next Fall. And Yay! All 4 of my fave vets made it for 2008!

WTF Television?!

What the hell is going on with my beloved medium Television?

First ABC, my most hated network because of their track-record of killing shows that I love so damn much (see: Home Front, Miracles, Eyes, Miss Guided, Women's Murder Club, Knights of Prosperity, Jake in Progress, Men In Trees, Invasion...the list goes on for miles), decides to cancel Pushing Daisies, one of the most enchanting and charming shows ever made. ABC also cancelled "Eli Stone" and "Dirty, Sexy, Money"; but I'm not as broken-up about these because my love for them had already waned.

Then I just heard that the dumbasses over the NBC soap "Days of Our Lives" have decided to fire much-loved actors Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall! The hell?! I know that Drake and Deidre make a shit-load of money and their salaries alone are probably enough to cover paychecks for half of the Days staff but dayyumm, why would you fire the only reason most of the fans of your stupid show even watch?
I'm probably sounding like a hypocrite because I stopped watching DooL over a year ago, but even I will miss the spectacular overacting that Hogestyn and Hall made their trademarks over the years. What will DooL be without John (Roman) and Marlena?

And ABC you bastards, you might just have lost me as a viewer forever. For years I've taken your abuse and heart-break, coming back for more over and over as you kept giving me tastes of interesting, imaginative, smart shows that you then just yanked away without remorse or warning. While you keep horrific drivel like Extreme Nanny: Wife Swap Edition, greenlight another f*cking season of The Bachelor, and continually introduce stupid reality shows like this new turd "True Beauty". Why do you continue to give carte-blanche to failing shows like "Private Practice" just because they're connected to a more successful show (Grey's), when you could be putting an effort into promoting and scheduling "Daisies" which is critically acclaimed and Emmy/Golden Globe nominated? You suck ass ABC!!
You've still got Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty to tether me to your evilness, but unless these three shows start showing considerable improvement, they might not be enough to keep me and then I'll be gone forever you tools.

#1 Boyfriend is 2008's "Sexiest Man Alive"

It's nice to see my favorite hottie Hugh Jackman being recognized for the god that he is. But I need to go on record that I have been his #1 fan for years - I mean like from before the "Swordfish" years and "Oklahoma" stuff. So I'm just saying, his wife aside, I saw him first!

Sex on legs full stop.

Status of my TV show relationships - November 2008

Recent break-ups (season passes erased from Tivo):
Private Practice: Dude this show looks good on paper - spinoff of successful hit; great actors; sexy people - but it Sucks. So. Much. I tried to give it a chance because of things like Taye Diggs's hot pecs, but I can't do it anymore. I'm out.

Eli Stone: I love you Jonny Lee Miller and Victor Garber. And I love television characters randomly breaking out into song, but jeezus this show is boring. A good idea, wasted.

Life on Mars: I watched the BBC version of this and actually the American one is very well done for what it is. Again it's just sort of boring. Harvey Keitel is even boring. And Michael Imperioli's 70s 'stache is really scary.

Relationships in trouble (episodes gone unwatched/dropped off Tivo):
Dirty Sexy Money: Oh, DSM. I don't know what to do with you. There's so much I love about you...but your ridiculousness has moved from campy fun to lame triteness. And there are a couple of characters that I absolutely hate that are bringing the whole show down. I'm looking at you Karen and Simon...

Heroes: We've already had this conversation babe. And again, I haven't given up on you yet. But on the other hand your last 3 episodes are just sitting on my Tivo hard drive. Just sitting there. Waiting. I don't want the same thing that happened with "Lost" to happen to you.

Grey’s Anatomy/Ugly Betty: Ok, you Thursday night ABC guys get lumped together. You both disappointed me greatly last season. So much so that I almost ended it with both of you. But with the writer's srtike and everything I thought that I'd give you both another chance to win my love back. Betty, you started off a little weak but with last week's ep you got a firmer foothold on my heart. But I'm still on the fence about you taking up recording time that I could be using for my brilliant "30 Rock". Grey's you had redeemed yourself, what with the Mer being less annoying, and the getting together of Iz and Alex (squee!). But then you had to go all weird and fire Brooke Smith who played Dr. Hahn. Now on one hand, I kind of hated her character, but on the other hand, I'm concerned that you might have gotten rid of the character because she's now a lesbian? That would make you a real douche, Grey's.

Shows that still have my love and devotion (season passes bumped up on the priority list):
True Blood: Only 2 eps left this season and I'm just as entranced as I was from the first taste. I think I've even figured out who the killer is! Although I hope I'm wrong. But as long as you keep giving me Lafayette, Rene, and Sam I'll be in this for the long haul.

Pushing Daisies: I've waxed poetic about how much I love you. I'm not going to say anything more except to reiterate that Emerson Cod is one of the greatest television characters of all time. And I wish there was a Pie Shoppe in my town.

Gossip Girl: GG, you make me feel like a 14 year-old girl again. But in the best possible way!

30 Rock: You know I love you when I'm willing to watch you on Hulu.com (that little screen!). But seriously, you are so brilliant I can't even take it.

Top Chef: You've been away for too long. And sometimes you annoy me with the cheftestants that you choose (fucking Ilan?! Assy Lisa? Really?!) but generally the foodie in me can't keep away. And Tom and Padma are just so damn sexy.

A work haiku for November 12

Read the damn resource
All you need to know, right there
Stop asking dumb things

Coming around on "Twilight" the movie

I have been hesitant to talk or get excited about the upcoming Twilight movie. Although I was aware of the fanatical popularity of the Stephenie Meyer YA vampire book series before this year, I only started reading the “Twilight” books after first reading Meyer’s first entrée into “adult” fiction, 2008’s “Host”. I enjoyed this book enough to check out what all the fuss was about regarding Meyer’s vampire books. I’ve only gotten through the first two (Twilight and New Moon).
I admit that if I was 13, I would LOVE these books. If Meyer had been writing these in the early 80s I would gladly have abandoned the trite Rice novels and gotten swept up with the Cullen family of vampires and the love story between Edward and Bella. I can totally see what all of the tweens have been freaking out about.
That said, the books and the story are just... alright. I haven’t been super impressed by the first two that I’ve read and I’ve heard that the third and fourth books are the more disappointing of the series so I’m not really looking forward to finishing them.

Anyway, the upcoming film has been hyped and promoted to within an inch of its life. And I’ve been avoiding all of the media crap as much as possible. A couple of weeks ago I overheard a conversation between two teens in a Magnolia Starbucks dissecting every aspect of the upcoming film from the choice of actors (thumbs up for Robert Pattinson and his wacky-ass hair as Edward, concern about “nobody” Kristen Stewart (who?) as Bella), to the concern that not enough of the book will be included in the movie blah blah blah.
Besides Pattinson and Stewart the only actors in the cast that I had heard about was that Billy Burke was playing Bella’s dad the sheriff (I immediately got depressed that one of my long-time crushes was playing the main character’s dad – I’m OLD!) and that the insufferable Elizabeth Reaser, who I have an irrational hatred of, was playing the Cullen family matriarch. So I knew that I was probably going to see the movie eventually but I wasn’t really that keen on seeing it in the theater.
That all changed this morning when I found out that Peter f*cking Facinelli is playing Carlisle Cullen, the vampire patriarch. “The Fatch”! Woohoo! I love Peter Facinelli so much and am so happy that perhaps this movie will mark a resurgence (surge?)in his stalled career. But I love that he doesn’t seem to care about said career dips. And I love his marriage to Jennie Garth; he’s a Brad Pitt-level DILF.
I don't even care that his hair seems to have been dyed a hideous lemon yellow for the role. I'm just super-psyched about seeing Facinelli on the big screen. Yay!

Pie!

I love pie. Besides the occasional cookie, pie is hands down my favorite dessert. If I never had a slice of cake again I'd be okay, but I could never give up pie.
I like all kinds - apple, berry, cherry, citrus based, any and all kinds of cream pie; double crust, blind-baked single crust, cobbler, crumb-topped...diabetic coma here I come.

So I recorded the 2008 National Pie Championship that was on the food network last night. I am a sucker for these Food Network "Challenge" shows for some reason. That Keegan Gerhard guy is strangely sexy, so maybe that's it? Or maybe it's because I always thought it would be great if my mom had entered some - she would've blown the competition away! Can you imagine being a judge for this particular competition? Getting to taste over 100 pies? Did I mention the diabetic coma?

Anyway, this year's pie contest was surprisingly thrill-packed; at least that was what they led us to believe. Who knew there could be so much drama in a pie making competition? There was the tension of several of past years winners trying to go after the defending champion. Then said 2007 champion was entering a pie in all 7 categories! Had she spread herself too thin? Would it be her downfall?! The pressure!
Other nail-biting traumas - Linda forgot to add the cornstarch to her chocolate mixture; Terry didn't let his crust rest enough so it shrunk in the oven, and his pastry tip got clogged!; John-Michael's apple corer broke! What. Will. Happen?
Eh, some lady with her Bananas Foster Cream Pie won. They didn't show her once during the show, so evidently she didn't have any of the manufactured drama that everyone else had. Boring.
Okay, I think I'm off to get some pie.

Change is A’Comin’

In a way this post feels totally unnecessary; thousands of people all around the world have discussed the election results and how they think it will affect our country, and expressed their joy, apprehension etc. over what it all means. But it’s taken me a full 36 hours to just process the enormity of it all; partly because I was exhausted from my election inspector duties, and partly because my feelings are just too BIG for me to really get a handle on. So indulge me a little as I ramble.

Driving home from the King Cty election depot Tuesday night, I encountered the thousands of people partying, dancing, and celebrating in the streets of downtown. Since I was kind of stuck because the street that I was driving on was blocked, I parked on a side street and got out to join the crowd. It was overwhelming. I was immediately reminded of WTO; but this time there was no malice, nothing scary; just pure happiness rolling off people. People smiling and crying with joy. It was surreal. I was exhausted because I’d been up since 4am so I made my way back to my car and drove home; encountering the tail of the huge crowd of similar revelers in Capitol Hill as well. And the next day to find out that similar celebrations had happened in streets all over the world really made the importance of this election outcome hit home.
My body wanted to sleep but when I got home Tuesday I had to tune in to all of the news channels to see results etc. I finally got to hear Obama’s acceptance speech. Glorious, but my reaction was muted because of fatigue.


Wednesday morning the first thing I noticed was that it was bright and clear and sunny. It was supposed to be rainy and gray – coincidence? Or was the atmosphere even excited about our new President-elect?


I was glad that I had the day off because I was strangely emotional. I thought about my beautiful mother a lot, and how much she would’ve LOVED what was happening. I cried tears of regret. I cried tears of envy watching the people stopping by the Lincoln memorial to celebrate. God, to be in DC on this day would have been great. I cried tears of relief for the end of the Bush era.
I cried on my way to meet friends for dinner when I heard on NPR of the thousands of people in cities like DC, NYC, and Philly who waited in line at newsstands to get a newspaper (any newspaper!) that would commemorate this important event. “Obama Wins!” proclaimed headlines, that people wanted to save as pieces of history for their children and grandchildren. My friend Andrea saved her and Al’s “I voted” stickers to place in their sons’ baby books.
It’s such a big deal!
So I find myself two days later with a heart that’s still leaping with joy and anxious for the changes that are sure to come. On a sour note, the bright light of hope has diminished somewhat with the passing of Proposition 8 in California. Seriously? I’m shocked that there are that many close-minded assholes out there. I still don’t think that it will go much further, but the fact that the state has already stopped issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples is totally depressing.
I guess I wouldn’t recognize my country if it wasn’t disappointing me at least a little bit.

Say goodbye to those voting booths Washington!

11/4/08 marked the last time that WA state voters, specifically in King and Pierce counties, would be voting at actual polling places with voting booths and Accuvote machines etc.

I have volunteered as an election official judge and inspector for the past 8 years and it has been a totally rewarding, if sometimes trying experience. Our state will still have drop box locations and AVU machines (electronic voting machines) and therefore there will most likely still be volunteer opportunities for me in the future, but it won’t be the same.

Some things that I'll miss -

• George. Elderly, sweet, quiet, loyal George. Precinct 43-1358, thank you very much.


• The commraderie of the poll judges. Every voting day, rain or shine we would be there at dawn getting things set up,working together throughout the day, solving problems before King county even had a chance to send a troubleshooter our way. I'll miss the coffee/donut/pizza runs too. And the good laughs we had and some voters' expense.


• The voters. From the committed neighborhood folk who always made a point to vote no matter how obscure the ballot initiative, to the folks just trying to save postage by dropping off their absentee ballots, I'll miss each and every voter. Yes, even annoying-as-hell "7:45 guy".


• The process. From the oath of judges at 6AM to the laborious process of giving Accuvote, Provisional, and Absentee voter totals in the evening tally. Democracy at work. A beautiful thing.

They picked a good election to go out on - we had 2,000 people vote in our polling place on 11/4/08. And that's not counting the hundreds of people that came through to drop off their absentee ballots. The energy was magnetic. Awesome way to end things.

Is it Wednesday yet?

This election stuff is likely to drive me to drink. I'm sitting here on the eve before undoubtedly the most historic election in my lifetime and I'm so anxious I'm nauseous.
Tomorrow I will again be volunteering as a King county election inspector. The 2008 election day promises to be horribly exhausting. I have to be out of the house by 4:30 AM and over to one of the largest polling places in the county, to be greated by people already in line to vote at 7:00AM. Every election day is trying but tomorrow is going to be a doozy. I kind of want to take a Xanax to get through it all. Too bad I don't have any of those.

By the way, this "vote by phone" scam that's been happening over the last few days? SUCKS ASS! Why are some Americans such f*cking assholes? Don't let these assholes steal your right to vote!

Go Obama/Biden!