Almost Thanksgiving...but still no Doctor Who for me.

Happy almost Thanksgiving (or as Aunt Kelli calls it- Ad Day!)! I am hosting a gathering at my house Thursday night because I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner and although I am away from my family and in a country that does not recognize the holiday- I will of course be celebrating it. Here is a little Buzzfeed top 10 to get in the mood… (I particularly enjoy the one about the uncle and the Turkey… because we have that uncle).http://www.buzzfeed.com/redbull/13-unfortunate-truths-about-thanksgiving

My excitement for Thanksgiving, plus a long weekend since the United Arab Emirates is celebrating its National Day on Sunday and Monday, is keeping me somewhat cheerful. You see my original plan was to find The Day of the Doctor somewhere online to watch as soon as possible- but alas that plan has failed miserably. So I have not watched Doctor Who yet and am hoping for no spoilers. I’m mainly staying away from trumblr which is where I get most of my Doctor Who information.

In happier news I see Huskies put the smack down on the Beavers! (Oh how I long for the day where I get to watch American Football live instead of reading about when I wake up!)

Also we need to talk Christmas movies… cause we’ll really only be together for forced family bonding for about 1 week so we need a plan of attack. Muppet Family Christmas is obviously first…Love Actually… and you know how I feel about Christmas Vacation. Also maybe a sitcom Christmas marathon…including some of the best holiday episodes from HIMYM, That 70s Show, New Girl, Friends… other classics…and don’t tell Sarah but I watched White Christmas this weekend because my roommate Dianne had only seen it once and had forgotten most of it.  We have limited Christmas time over here since I leave on the 13^th.

Okay that’s all I feel I have to say for now since I’m pretty much just waiting around for Doctor Who (but who isn't).

Sarah kisses the frog, only to learn that she was deceived and it was really only Kermoot the Moopet and there is no prince. She loses some of her special glitter power, but continues on her quest. 

The Day of the Doctor Has Arrived!

Don't worry!  This is a spoiler free post as the show has not aired.  But it is the most important thing that will be happening today.  Even if the Huskies manage to beat the Beavers.  We are a mere 3 hours away.  I should be getting ready to head out because I have a ticket to see it in the theater with some friends.  However the sore throat and headache that I have been pretending does not exist will not go away.  And I am making the painful decision to be responsible.  Thankfully there is a little Doctor Who series 7 marathon to support my choice.  And hopefully with enough juice and water I can beat this stupid thing away.  Thanksgiving is almost here, I have to be in tip top shape.

So while I'm waiting for the 50th Anniversary to start (3:02:20 according to the BBC America countdown ticker that is in the corner of the TV screen, let's discuss what else is happening.

I watched Castle last night (finally), so I'm all caught up.  I know what you mean about needing an overarching story.  I mean, they needed to work out the personal drama (and wrap up last season's proposal cliffhanger and Beckett's new job), so I get that.  But I'm excited to see this happening. And I really think they have needed something like 3XK returning, as opposed to it coming back to Beckett's mom's murder again. Outside of the death of her mom, they have lacked something that sticks around and pops up often enough that people remember it (Krystal asked me for a refresher on 3XK after I watched and I couldn't give a ton of information).  I explained it was like Palant on Bones (not sure I'm spelling that right).  And I'm glad to see this on Castle as it's kind of a staple of a long-running crime show.  [I guess you could insert here an argument that following a formula relates my prior post about a lack of originality, but it's a crime show, it's not about original formulas, it's about good characters so that you don't care that it's following the same formula as all the other crime shows before it.]  Bones has had a couple, Palant and that creepy lady who was played by the actress from the Wire who buried people alive or something.  Anyhow, it was creepy and on-going.  The Law & Order with Vincent D'Onofrio (Criminal Intent?) had Nicole Wallace (played perfectly by Olivia D'Abo) and it was only a few episodes, but it was memorable, and I only watched a few reruns.  You gotta have a nemesis, and the creepy 3XK is the perfect match for Beckett & Castle.  Her brilliance and his outside of the box thinking present the ideal challenge for the meticulous sociopath. 

You should definitely start Newsroom, that should be a top priority.  It is so good.  Haters be damned, it is idealist Sorkin at his best (okay, maybe 2nd best, early West Wing is impossible to beat, although that might have been when he had the cocaine problem, so I don't know that it's appropriate to say he was at his best then?).  When you get through that, I want to make a case for giving Arrow another chance.  I feel like so many shows fall off in their second season (both Revenge and Once Upon a Time went through season 2 like they had no idea where they wanted to go, with too many storylines and a general lack of focus, but thankfully both are back on track with clear focus in season 3), but Arrow has come into its own.  The first season was entertaining, and I grew to really like the characters, but it wasn't solid, and a lot of the time I was just watching for Oliver to take his shirt off.  This season there are quality twists and turns in every episode, but it still manages to not be too busy.  There is a lot going on with returning villains and a secret bad guy that he doesn't even know about yet (not to mention the huge shock at the end of the last episode), but it's never too much.  Also, I don't know exactly how Summer Glau is going to fit into this all in the long run, but I just love anytime she's on a show because she is awesome.

Random tangent: I've been thinking a lot about this healthcare.gov snafu and how it seems completely ridiculous that we are incapable of accomplishing this technological task while elsewhere in the government the NSA is hacking into pretty much everything.  Now, my technological skills are nothing spectacular, but I do understand that creating that kind of website and sneaking into all aspects of our lives requires slightly different capabilities, so I'm not suggesting that the NSA guys make that ACA website (although come on, they could totally do it), but I think it just highlights some of our misplaced priorities.  Spying on citizens and allies? Top notch effort. Making sure that our new system that is trying to give everyone access to affordable health care is easy to sign up for?  Eh, we can phone that in.  That said, people who are getting up in arms over this (Congress) can just calm down.  These things take time.  We are talking about millions of people.  Also, I think I'll just type NSA in here one last time, perhaps it's like Beetlejuice and if you say it 3 times, they show up.  Only in this case, they just start reading the blog.  Welcome, NSA guys to our pop culture heavy blog.  

Finally, I wanted to show you yet another buzzfeed list. http://www.buzzfeed.com/kbweinstein/10-sad-truths-about-adulthood-no-one-ever-told-you-g105 I just want you to know that #4 is something I struggle with constantly.  I know that as a teacher you don't really have this, and I kind of envy that a little. 

The countdown continues, we're now at 2:34:11.  And Strax & Jenny & Madam Vastra are on this epsiode.  I love them.  I wonder if they'll make an appearance in the special.  

Sarah's encounter with the cookie elf has slowed down her progress considerably, but she does manage to cast a milk spell after rolling a 16 and escapes.  However next in her path is a frog who strongly resembles Kermit, but asks for a kiss to turn into a real boy, and thus is unlikely really Kermit. 

Rain cancels school and how I think we are geniuses...

It rained this week in Abu Dhabi… which meant school closed. Not a lot of rain at all, but way more than it usually rains (which is never) and the roads flooded a little and people panicked, so school was closed early. It was like a snow day at home and now I keep checking the weather forecast to see if more will come and school will be canceled on Sunday too! (It’s not looking promising)

Also I agree with your stance on the need for more new fresh ideas (which is why we like things like Buffy and HIMYM… they were once fresh, new ideas.) It sounds like you’re also pointing out the need to know when to STOP and allow a wonderful concept to slowly fade away- die with dignity. Although reused ideas and reboots can be highly entertaining…

I had originally planned to tell you about how I love Castle- but have been feeling lately that there has been some missing on-going drama that always adds to crime shows. Then I watched this week’s episode this morning. And I’m not sure if you have watched it yet so I won’t give anything away… but it was exactly what I felt had been missing. Just like how you were saying about HIMYM and you wished there was more with the mom and more bringing old things “back around” and then BAM! it happened.  We are either just as smart as writers and producers and really should work in television OR we just watch too much television. I’m going with the smart thing.

DOCTOR WHO 50^th anniversary special this weekend (well for me actually next week). It’s coming very soon- even Google is excited. I’m not sure if I emotionally ready for it…. We will have to discuss as soon as I see it.

Still haven’t started Newsroom… which is still a goal… still making my way through Game of Thrones book 2… but have managed to watch 2 more episodes of Breaking Bad. It's good to have goals. 

Sarah: Resumes her quest in D&D and she has an encounter with a tree elf. He offers her a cookie that he says will give her the ability to fly. Instead when she eats it, it only gives her desire to have another. 

My turn was skipped and I love Henry Carvill....

Blog:

First off- I’m telling mom you’re not taking turns. We’re supposed to take turns posting. You have now given me so much to respond to and consider.

I do enjoy a good Buzzfeed  list. Actually I tend to like list in general, especially pop culture related list. However, while I’m good at making To-Do and grocery list… I would have a hard time ranking Buffy episodes.  But then you go and send me an alternative idea about making a HIMYM list….which also seems like a nearly impossible task...but with some time and some serious careful thought we could do it. Perhaps when I’m home at Christmas we can conquer it. Sarah would also have thoughts and input.

We can just take a moment to appreciate how awesome SHEILD is. I just enjoy it more and more every week. Whedon can kill people off as long as he just keeps creating brilliance. I am always so entertained.

Supernatural update… on episode 5 in season 4. There is just so much happening. There’s this angel now and Sam is getting all supernaturally. Only 4 more seasons left to get caught up!

Doctor Who mini-episode this week! YES…. This had to be talked about face to face and couldn't wait for a blog, so we’ve already discussed it via Skype.  But just need to add it in here again, because there are only 7 more days until The Day of the Doctor. After further thought I decided this was the type of mini-episode that made me realize I need to know more about old Doctor Who and then I need to make a big chart. Maybe then the chart can hang in the “formally green room” at your house above the Tardis which we have yet to construct out of your cabinet.

So I’m home for Christmas very soon… about 27 days. I plan to do some Christmas watching prior to that. So far my list consist of Elf, White Christmas, Muppet Christmas Carol, Love Actually, Miracle of 34^th Street, National Lampoon Christmas Vacation, The Santa Claus and It’s a Wonderful Life. I have limited time in December with my friends so the list can't be too long… and of course I will watch any or all these with you when I get home! And save Muppet Family Christmas for home of course. 

One last thing for now…

In searching for some video for my kids to watch I came across this little gem and… I LOVE Henry Carvill and everything he does.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2424032/Henry-Cavill-joins-Elmo-Sesame-Street-teach-children-respect.html

I can’t show my kids here because of the pigs… they’re haram.

Sarah update: She took a break from D&D this week due to an overreaction at a mall caused by the hearing of Christmas music being played prior to Thanksgiving. There was a bit of scene and she now has to spend her extra time at the mall helping fix Santa’s Workshop. (She was in the right…there should be laws about these things.)

The Men Kacey Trusts Completely...

I considered myself a feminist. I can’t wait for the day a female becomes president… I think Hilary Clinton is awesome, not a bitch… I don’t like it when men feel the need to explain sports to me… and I get annoyed when female leads are helpless and need to be saved by a man.

That being said… something has recently occurred to me.

My television viewing right now consist of finishing Battlestar Galatica (I’m about half a season away from completion) and catching up on the latest season of NCIS. Both shows have one major thing in common: a male lead that no matter what my real life views of old white guys in power are; I feel these men always know what the right thing to do is and I would follow them no matter what. I actually find myself getting really pissed off when people on these shows question these men. And the more I have thought about this, the more I realized there are several men in my fictional life that I just trust completely.

And upon reflection of these men, I think perhaps the best thing about all these men is that despite their old school ways they have the highest respect for strong woman and treat them as equals.

So here are the men I am compelled to follow:

Gibbs (NCIS): I trust his “gut” completely and pity any person who doesn’t. I mean, when does it ever steer him wrong? Plus he’s got rules he follows. He also know the Ziva is the scariest on his on his team and Abby is his favorite.

Admiral Adama a.k.a. “The Old Man” (Battlestar Galatica):   While The Old Man may have some old school military ideas about things, he always does what is best for the fleet and the people who rebel are stupid. He’s always protected the fleet. He always knows that Starbuck is one of the smartest pilots on the Battlestar and despite his early differences with the President, he ultimately recognized the fleet needs for her leadership.

Dumbledore (Harry Potter): Despite the things Dumbledore kept from Harry over the year, he knew the right thing to do. Everything he did, he did to protect people. We were all Dumbledore’s followers through and through, no matter what we discovered about him. He also always trusted Professor McGonagall with running of Hogwarts and he never doubted thatHermione was the brightest witch of her age.

The Doctor (Doctor Who): This needs little explanation. I mean, who doesn’t immediately trust The Doctor. And he would NEVER doubt the power and ability of a woman… actually I think it’s some men he questions.

Gandalf (Lord of the Rings):  Gandalf always sees the full potential of people. He always knows just what to do, but never actually seeks power for himself. And even though there aren’t many strong female leads in LOR, his faith in the hobbits shows that he doesn’t underestimate the heart and strength of all beings.

Captain Kirk (Star Trek): I am not really a “Trekky,” and have only watched a few old movies, but I recently become a huge fan with the latest movie reboot.  Now granted, Chris Pine as Captain Kirk is not hard on the eyes and he might be a bit arrogant and impulsive, but he does what he thinks is right. And he leaves no person behind… even if it is illogical as Spock often points out. Plus he knows not to mess with Lt. Uhura.

Captain Mal (Firefly/Serenity): I think Captain Mal’s loyalty to his crew is unmatched. Although he has thief like ways, he ultimately always does the right thing. And despite his crude words to Inara, he knows she is much more intelligent than he is and he hired Kaylee as his mechanic because he immediately recognized her skills far surpassed the idiot he originally was going to hire.  

Honorable Mention:

Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer): Okay, so ultimately I trusted Buffy to save to world every time and she really was the leader… and I got REALLY mad whenever people didn’t recognize that.  But in my opinion this made Giles all that cooler because he knew that too. What’s better than a guy that helps his daughter-like figure reach her full potential as a bad-ass, world-saving leader. Plus I always felt a bit better when Giles was around to answer questions and act as guidance.  

Coming Soon: After relocating to Portland, OR, Sarah recounts the exciting, yet frightening experience of getting lost in Powell's Books.

Kacey and the Art of Surprise....

This is a long over-due blog… I feel like so much has happen.

Jamie mentioned in her last blog that I was headed to Bali for my two week spring break. PSYCH! I snuck home like a ninja and surprised the crap out of my family. It was awesome! But now I’m back in Abu Dhabi until summer.

The second thing that has been happening just in the past week… I started watching Battlestar Galactica and last night I finished season one. Now thankfully I have Netflix and won’t have to wait for a whole summer to find out what happens…but the surprise ending of the first season, combined with my recent awesome surprise home got me thinking about all the other shocking moments… well in television.

And TA-DA I came up with a blog!

WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS (Granted slightly outdated spoilers…BUT STILL MAJOR SPOILERS)!

Now obviously this is totally my personal list regarding moments that I remember watching television and say “holy &#?%!” … and honestly this day in age with spoilers all over the internet it’s hard to do that (as I have recently discovered with Downtown Abbey because I have NOT watched season 3)…but here some moments from some of my favorite shows.

Friends… Ross’s wedding to Emily. Two things: Monica and Chandler in bed together and then Ross saying Rachel’s name at his wedding. Oops!

Alias… SOOO many WTF moments in this show, but perhaps the one that made me physically react the most because I was on the edge of my seat  was Vaughn starting to tell Sydney who he really was but then BAM! They are hit by a truck…end of season.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer… There are two here. Buffy dying was pretty shocking….but the show was returning so I knew it wasn’t permanent. Probably even more shocking was her mom dying. With all the violence and death on this show… her mom dying from natural causes ended up being the most tragic of all.

Doctor Who… surprises at every turn here and I could say either the separating of Doctor and Companion  or a regeneration is always a bit intense, but since I’ve started watching Doctor Who I always knew those were coming. However so much happened along the way that I didn’t see coming… Few moments I remember going “WHAT!”: River Song meeting the Doctor but he didn’t know who she was (and we didn’t know who River was)… Amy being fake Amy…Amy and Rory being River’s parents… Every time Rory died… and River being the Doctor’s wife. Yes most of those have to do with River. Overall Moffat just keeps me guessing.

Lost….lord we don’t have time for that.

Battlestar Galactica… Okay I’m only one season in, but the end of that first season when Boomer shoots the Old Man was a total heart stopper.

Torchwood… when everybody dies. First Toshiko and Owen die… at the end of season 2… than Ianto dies in mini-series “Children of Earth” which is possibly one of the most intense and most shocking mini-series ever. Jack sacrifices his own grandson to save the world... just... too much.

Grey's Anatomy… so the finale where Meredith realizes their unknown crash victim was George was honestly when I stopped watching. That was such an edge of the seat season ending and I had to spend the whole summer wondering if he died (or Izzy). The next season just couldn’t live up to it. (However, Sarah has informed me about later happenings as she is a dedicated fan and I hear the finale with the gunman tops all other season finales.)

Fringe… again another JJ Abrams creation full of crazy-ass shit. But it all really kicked off when I realized that Olivia had managed to cross over to another universe at the end of season 1 and Leonard Nimoy was waiting for her in the alternative universe. Crazy.

Sherlock the miniseries…I didn’t know much about Sherlock Holmes before this miniseries and the Robert Downey Jr. movie versions, but I knew enough to know that Sherlock falls and “dies” in the “Reichenbach Fall” (but doesn’t really die). However, the whole finale of the second season and all the twists and turns about Moriarty setting Sherlock up just blew me away…and I still found the end utterly shocking.

I wasn’t alive for it actually happening… but honorable mention goes to M*A*S*H and the announcement of the death of Col. Blake because story goes that not even the cast new it was coming. It still gives me shivers and brings me to tears just thinking about it.

Okay that’s enough for now… there might be more later because the surprises just continue, especially as I continue to watch new shows. But I don’t want to give too much away!

Coming Soon: Sarah composes an impassioned essay about the importance of pencil safety.

Why I Believe (by Kacey)

This Christmas I will not be home. Since I currently live on the other side of the world I thought it might be a good opportunity to do something a bit different for the holidays. It's Christmas Eve and I currently sit in the lobby of my hostel in Edinburgh, Scotland where I am spending Christmas. I just spent a week in Ireland (actually with Sarah) and will venture onto London in a few days for New Years before returning to sunny Abu Dhabi. 

I love Christmas time and I am loving my choice in location for the holidays (Abu Dhabi is not very Christmasy feeling). Although it wasn't until today could I begin to explain why I love both these things. While I was out walking through little shops I saw a card that read "When you stop believing in Santa you get underwear." It made me laugh....but it also reminded me of a quote I recently repinned on Pinterest (I freaking love Pinterest). It simply stated this:

"Even though she was a grown woman she believed in elves & Santa Claus & flying reindeer & sacks with an endless capacity for toys. Furthermore she believed that believing in these things was the chief reason she had more fun in life than others."

It became the backdrop on my computer.

It's the truth, right? Is it more fun to believe in whimsical and fantastical things or be a "realist?" Yesterday I sat at the cafe JK Rowling began writing the Harry Potter series. From the window I could see the castle and the school that inspired Hogwarts. I also wandered around a grave yard trying to find Tom Riddle's grave (which I couldn't find...but might go back to try again). I love the idea that one of my favorite stories had been inspired by this beautiful and fascinating city. Also on Thursday I am traveling north for the day with plans to look for the Lochness Monester. On Friday I will get into Kings Cross Station in London and plan to find platform 9 3/4. And thanks to Doctor Who I find myself staring at every angel statue I come across simply out of fear.

What does this have to do with belief? I am sure people without the belief in things nerdy and whimsical enjoy traveling to these places...just not as much. And as someone who loves history I am finding there is lots to be learned here. But even history requires a certain amount of belief...and what is history if not a series of stories...both real and made up. 

So really if nothing else, believing makes the world a bit more interesting and much more fun. 

Tomorrow morning I will not wake up to Christmas presents (I already got an awesome box of presents before I left Abu Dhabi from my family which included an iPad mini - and no underwear!). And Christmas will feel a bit strange without being surrounded by friends and family this year. But this will not deter my belief in Santa Claus or the holiday spirit. If anything it will allow me to broaden by beliefs, because as I walk through these streets of Scotland it still feels like Christmas (and not just in a consumer way). So while Santa journeys acoss the world tonight... I know he did not skip me...but instead gave me the opportunity to see Christmas a little bit differently this year in a pretty awesome place.

Coming Soon: Sarah recounts details of her recent elf tracking mission.  Spoiler: she didn't make it to Santa's workshop, but feels she is close and will continue her efforts soon.

Jamie's Fall 2012 TV Review

As I mentioned, my TV watching has gotten out of control. But it's all so good. Or if not good, then addicting, or I've watched it so long that I feel like the characters will be disappointed if I don't watch. What? Stop judging me.

Anyhow, there is too much to review to give you all my excuses, so here goes, let's do this by day of the week.

Sunday: Perhaps my new favorite night for TV. Both Once Upon a Time and Revenge have proven that they do have more than just a single season in them that can keep my attention. I absolutely love what OUAT is doing with the split locations for the present and again layering it beautifully with unexpected twists from the past. Plus, Captain Hook - hot! Revenge just keeps getting trashier and more insane and we can't stop watching it. Mostly because we love Nolan. Plus, Aiden - hot!

Monday: Not only are there too many network shows on, but Alphas & Warehouse 13's summer seasons extended into the fall. Both continue to be awesome, so I make it work. How I Met Your Mother is off to a solid start for what I hope is its last season. I will miss it, but I feel they are in a great position to end it exactly the way they want, on a high point in its popularity. I think next season would probably involve a shark. Bones is consistent, although I feel it is also nearing the end of its lifespan. Two Broke Girls continues to make me laugh, largely because of the amazing Kat Dennings. The 10pm time slot is why they invented DVR/TiVo/OnDemand/etc. Castle is rocking the new Caskett storyline, Hawaii 5-0 continues to be solid, and new kid on the block Revolution is amazing. And Uncle Miles - hot! (And complex and a little angry and has a very complicated past, kind of like everyone on Lost)

Tuesday: NCIS continues to build and develop its family of characters every week, and still catch the bad guy. I will keep watching it as long as they keep it on the air.  I am a little behind on Hart of Dixie (because it is not On Demand -- come on CW, what is that about?) but don't worry, I will catch up, Team Wade for life. Cause Wade (you can say it with me if you want) - hot! The New Girl still makes me laugh until I choke and I love the way they have handled Nick & Jess's obvious chemistry without hurting the group dynamic. And Schmidt - hilarious.

Wednesday: I am going to start watching Arrow, as soon as I find the time (cause the few minutes I have seen looked like Batman+Robin Hood+Revenge, and the main guy... hot!), and I have been watching a little Modern Family because it is amazing, but generally Wednesday isn't a big TV day.

Thursday: Sheldon & the boys and girls just keep doing their thing. I don't even have anything witty to say about it. Tina Fey is wrapping up 30 Rock brilliantly, of course. Cause that is what she does. The office supply montage that turned Liz Lemon on was priceless. And Leslie Knope is rocking both city council and the Parks Department. They are even managing to keep her & Ben's relationship fresh with the current long distance element. Plus there is still plenty of screen time for one Ben Wyatt, and, well, do I even have to say it at this point? (Ben - hot!) Meryl is peer-pressuring me into watching Scandal, but I haven't gotten to it yet. We are both loving Elementary though. I strongly believe there is no such thing as too much Sherlock, and I love that there is a female Watson, played by the always cool Lucy Liu. Plus, Sherlock - kinda hot.

Friday: Ah, the final season of Fringe. When it all comes together. I read some stuff pre-season that said they were planning it like a 13 episode movie, and I would totally agree. Don't jump in the middle, this half season series finale is for the committed, or those who can catch up quickly on the previous 4 seasons. I can't wait to see what unfolds each week.

Saturday: It's on a break now, but the 5 episode Doctor Who series made me feel all the feels. The Asylum of the Daleks got Amy & Rory back on track (and spun our heads a little about the new companion as the actress playing her made a surprise early debut and then was a dalek and then blew up?!?!). Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was everything I love about this show- humor, adventure, heart, the Doctor being friends with famous people in history, plus Arthur Weasley is Rory's dad...oh, and there were dinosaurs...on a spaceship! A Town Called Mercy was maybe the weakest of the 5, but gave us a reminder of why the Doctor cannot travel alone. The Power of Three gave us some more Arthur Weasley, and reminded Amy & Rory that life is short, so you should probably continue to travel with that mad man in a blue box while you can. And then The Angels Take Manhattan...tears, so many tears, but Amy & Rory were together, and that is what mattered. Plus, the previous 2.5 seasons had given us no reason to doubt that when it came down to it, Amy would always choose Rory, even over her raggedy Doctor.

 

So, that kind of turned into a Doctor Who series 7.1 review, but whatever. It was really good, it earned a little mini-review.

Alright, back to house hunting.

Books read: 42 (which is the answer to life, the universe and everything)

Coming Soon: Sarah is busy with the dogs, so in lieu of a full blog, she'll be posting a video of herself singing The Sound of Music as she wanders around Switzerland. Please ignore the whining of the dogs in the background, no animals were (seriously) harmed during the filming of her video.

Jamie's Very Late August Fave Five

Well, work has been crazy, which leaves me exhausted.  Plus my weekends have been packed, spending some quality time with Kacey before she left on her big adventure, and then my cousin’s wedding in Chelan.  So those are my excuses for the delay.  But since I know you can’t wait to see what I loved in August, here goes:

1)      Doctor Who – Pond Life, trailers, tumblr insanity, etc.  September 1^st saw the return of Doctor Who, both in the UK and here in the U.S.  This is very exciting.  Usually somebody has to wait (like we will for Downton Abbey) when a new season premieres, but not for series 7 of Doctor Who.  Leading up to the premiere were some incredibly exciting trailers for the new episode and the rest of the first series, plus the Pond Life mini-webisodes that gave us a glimpse at what we had been missing in the lives of the Doctor & the Ponds.  Ood on the loo. 

2)      Wikipedia’s Abu Dhabi & United Arab Emirates pages – As soon as Kacey first told me she may be headed for the other side of the world to teach for a couple years, I started my online research.  Of course, I am busy and kind of lazy so it was really just perusing the Wikipedia pages.  While they are filled with a variety of interesting tidbits, I can say that I am most intrigued by camel racing.  Because like my father, one of the first things I wanted to know about was the sports.

3)      HPA EqualityFTW – I really should have gotten this posted earlier, while this was actually happening.  The Harry Potter Alliance - an awesome organization that does a lot of work relating the themes of love and equality Harry Potter with real life issues – had a goal of raising $50,000 by September 8^th.  They are looking to expand their efforts (including to states like Maryland & Minnesota that have important marriage equality related ballot measures this November).  They had a variety of donor gifts with contributions from John & Hank Green, Maureen Johnson, Evanna Lynch, LeakyCon, & various members of Team Starkid.  When they closed they were just shy of $100,000, nearly double their goal.  Gotta love this amazing internet community coming together to do some good, again.  If you want to contribute I’m sure they are still taking donations on their website.

4)      Felixing – I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Felixing is the new Tebowing.  Only it’s about nine million times better.  It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon in August when Felix took the mound to throw the first perfect game in Seattle Mariner history.  As many noted, with him, it really felt like it would only be a matter of time. That day 27 Rays came to the plate, and all 27 went out, unable to do anything against King Felix.  The celebration included a little move from the King that took over twitter, facebook, and the rest of the internet with both hands and one knee in the air.  And then, in case that wasn’t enough, even Eddie Vedder did it.  Eddie Vedder.  Yeah, Felixing is WAY better than Tebowing.

 

5)      Sarah’s Blog – When she isn’t working on all of the posts for this blog, Sarah shares her various travel adventures here.  They are pretty much epic and awesome (and very well written), and if you’re not reading them, then you really aren’t living. 

 

Books read: 34 (I might be falling behind... anything from the Song of Fire & Ice should count as 2 books...)

Coming Soon: Sarah hears the new Doctor Who episode is called Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, starts watching, and writes up her preliminary thoughts.  Because how can you not want to watch something with dinosaurs on a freaking spaceship.

Kacey is Leaving the Country...Does Important Things with Jamie...

I'm moving to Abu Dhabi to teach! Big adventure, happening very quickly, very exciting. So what do Jamie and I do together before I leave? Spend a day watching Doctor Who before the season 7 premier… and make fish fingers and custard.

We made a list of episodes we felt were important to watch prior to watching the season 7 premiere (or we just felt like watching)

This was what we watched:

The Doctor Dances: Season 1 (Christopher Eccleston) This episode was mostly chosen because it is part of the introduction of Captain Jack Harkness, whom we LOVE! And this episodes never makes us look at gas mask the same way.

The Girl in the Fireplace: Season 2 (David Tennant) Mostly just a favorite that we wanted to watch. It’s an awesome Steven Moffat creation.

The Shakespeare Code: Season 3 (David Tennant) This is an awesome episode... in large because of the multiple Harry Potter references, plus Shakespeare!

Blink: Season 3 (David Tennant) Scariest episodes ever and best episode that the Doctor is hardly in. Moffat strikes again. And the weeping angels don’t get any less scary when they come back later. (Plus intro to “big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff”)

Last of the Time Lords: Season 3 (David Tennant) Even if you don’t love Martha Jones (I like her... but don't love her), she is total bad ass in this season 3 finale and the whole Master story is pretty great.

Silence in the Library: Season 4 (David Tennant) This is a good two parter, but we mostly watched it because of the introduction to River Song. It’s appreciated so much more after we know so much more about River. However, we couldn’t watch the second part, too sad.

Journey’s End: Season 4 (David Tennant) Defeating Daleks is always a necessary part of any Doctor marathon. Plus multiple Doctors and reappearances of so many great characters. And we had to have a Donna fix somewhere in the marathon, and Doctor Donna is funny (then sad).

The Eleventh Hour: Season 5 (Matt Smith) Welcome in Matt Smith! (We skipped the sad exit of David Tennant, we didn't want the day to be too sad.) This was also the part in the evening when we ate fish fingers and custard (Jamie did mix them and then said “God did intend for that.”)

The Big Bang: Season 5 (Matt Smith) This is an awesome season finale. The centurion that waited, the fez and then the doctor dancing at Amy and Rory’s wedding. Appropriate prep for the premiere.

The Wedding of River Song: Season 6 (Matt Smith) This episode confuses me a little because time is a big ball of wibbly wobbly… but it was important to watch before the season 7 premiere.

Then the premiere, which did not disappoint!

While watching this we also did a puzzle and played Settlers of Catan. The day jammed pack full of Kacey and Jamie fun!

Now we’ve been watching the burger episode of How I Met Your Mother and need to go get a burger (for breakfast)...

 

Coming Soon: Sarah writes “Ode to Cheese” after tasting some of the finest cheeses in Italy.

Glossary Part 3... (by Kacey)

Glossary Part 3! Second post in August! Still no job! Woo!

Here we go..

“Does the term cruel and unusual punishment mean anything to you?” Source: Remember the Titans. The dashing Ryan Gosling, who at the time this film was made was still emerging from his Disney boyish ways, really wants his large, defensive lineman, African-American team member to like the song “Act Naturally” by Buck Owens. This is the response he receives. One uses the statement whenever something is difficult to sit through.

“Bow ties are cool.” Source: The Doctor, and if you have to ask which doctor then you are new. One can also refer to fezzes, as they are also cool. Actually this is best used when someone doesn’t like what you are wearing; just say it is cool, thus making it cool. (Like bows Jamie, bows are cool)

“I totally paused.” Source: Clueless. Jamie and I can actually pretty much quote this whole movie as we have watched it many times. And it made reading Jane Austen’s Emma much more interesting. I often use this when I come to a stop sign and may not come to a full stop. Jamie doesn’t say this as often.

“Exceptionally good finder.” Source: A Very Potter Musical. Okay so confession time. I have actually only watched about ¾ of the first A Very Potter Musical, which in the nerd world is a little sacrilege. However, I know enough to know this is a reference to Hufflepuffs and how they good at finding things (the joke being that is all they are really good for). But since being placed in Hufflepuff on Pottermore I feel my finding skills have greatly increased.

 “Wine and Beer!” Source: RENT, via the song La Vie Boheme. This needs little explanation to when its use is appropriate since people who have never have seen RENT will say “wine and beer,” but said in a chant form is often more appropriate.

“Gobla, Gobla, Humngo!” Source: A Muppet Family Christmas. I’m not even sure if that is spelled correctly…my Swedish Chef isn’t totally fluent. This phrase is said when the Swedish Chef reacts to the size of Big Bird. This phrase usually comes out at Thanksgiving and is used in reference to the size of the turkey… and is not said exclusively by Jamie and myself.

“Challenge accepted!” Source: How I Met Your Mother. Another Barneyism. Often used when no one has actually challenged him to do anything. The phrase is best used when you feel up to a challenge… but it is not necessary for someone say “I challenge you to…”. It’s really more of personal challenge mantra.

 “90%” Source: I can’t remember where this came from, but it is made in reference to cows. Actually usually starts when Jamie and I are driving around and we pass by a field with cows. I start by saying… “Hey Jamie did you know that 90%...” I usually don’t have to finish before Jamie rolls her eyes. It’s from my favorite joke that states “Did you know that 90% percent of all cow are outstanding in their field.” Now all one of us has to say is “90%” whenever cows are discussed.

Coming Soon: After watching Dawson's Creek for two days straight Sarah writes a letter to Joey Potter warning her to stay away from Scientology.

Jamie & the Doctor

*I just met you, this is crazy* Oh, hi. Sorry, I was just listening to Call Me Maybe. It's just so catchy, and then Kacey put it on her mix, and, I couldn't help it. Did you notice her little dig at me in there about not knowing songs unless they are on Glee? I did. There is nothing wrong with that. It happens because I don't listen to pop radio. I listen to NPR, like a proper liberal Seattleite. I also learn new pop songs via Internet parodies. I still prefer the California Dorks lyrics to the California Girls lyrics. But I'm getting way off topic. I came on here to say that I am super excited Kacey posted 2 days in a row and to put my little love letter to Doctor Who on here. I wrote this a little after finishing series 6 (okay, I think I wrote it last month) and now that we are mere months from the premiere of series 7, I guess now know is as good a time as any to share…

It was inevitable really. That I would love the Doctor. As you are slowly but surely pulled deeper into the world of awesome nerdy pop culture, he is unavoidable. You can't go to any kind of convention without coming across him in some form. It might be the scarf. That ridiculously long multi-colored scarf that is an international sign of a Who fan. The scarf is easy though, for the more committed it's brown pinstripes and Chuck Taylor's, quite possibly the hottest outfit you can find at any nerd gathering. It's basically the male equivalent of the Princess Leia gold bikini. And then came the bow ties. There was some hesitation to embrace them, but we know it's true, bow ties are cool.

And it wasn't just strangers. My friends were slipping it into conversations. Hillary was the most adamant, of course. She told me I needed to watch Doctor Who. It was too fabulous. They even had a marathon one day, but I couldn't make it. Jeff was a little more subtle, saying he thought I would enjoy it, given my increasing appreciation for Sci fi TV and such. Even a couple others turned out to be Whovians, although they are all about the classic Who and I don't think they have yet to watch any of the reboot.

When I started (with the reboot, forgive my lack of scarf-era episode. viewing), I wasn't sure. Nine is no one's favorite, but I think that is because he quit after 1 season. He was definitely starting to grow on me. Of course it could have been the appearance of Captain Jack that helped keep my interest. I would watch John Barrowman read the phone book, so long as he did it with that Captain Jack smirk. But as soon as David Tennant came along, saving the world and accidentally quoting Lion King lyrics, I knew I was hooked.

Of course, I still had some concerns. When Rose left, I had to take a break. I wasn't ready for a new companion any more than the Doctor. But they knew that, and eased us into accepting Martha. Each companion has managed to have a different relationship with the Doctor that fits with their character and respects those that came before. But the companion shifts were nothing compared to my concerns about changing Doctors. Even though it went very well for me the first time, I was now attached. David Tennant is, to use Who fan jargon, "my doctor." Much like he is for many of my generation. Who was this funny bow tie wearing man that was coming to take his place? Thanks to his (Matt Smith) immense talents and the brilliance that is Steven Moffat, I didn't have to stress long. I loved him at fish fingers and custard, right along with Amelia Pond.

With every change, I just keep loving it. There are, of course, elements of the ridiculous. But that's what keeps it fun. I will watch just about any type of show if I like the characters. Plot, that's important too, but more important is how it shapes my beloved characters. I will watch them fight evil, solve equations, or mock each other endlessly. It really doesn't matter.

And the Doctor and his companions always keep my attention. Wherever they go across time and space, whether they are battling angels or daleks, I just want to see more.

Books read: 31 (on to the 3rd book in the Song of Fire & Ice, which is long, but I am hooked)

Coming Soon: Sarah posts a Doctor Who inspired parody of Call Me Maybe. "I just met you, and this is crazy, but trust me won't you, cause I'm the Doctor" It needs work.

Jamie's Fave Five for May

May was officially our month with the most posts ever.  Yay!  Not too bad, huh? I know what you’re thinking, Jamie, you completely dominated the posting in May.  What happened?  I don’t know.  And I really hate to get your expectations up like that and then have to deliver again.  But I’m confident we can at least get close.  Kacey is almost done with school, which should free up a little time for her (well, when she’s not busy applying for jobs), and we all know Sarah has a pile of posts that she’s working on.  And I have some ideas.  Stay tuned.

But since another month has gone by I’m going to try and stick with this whole fave five thing.  Two months makes it a thing, right? So here’s what I was loving in May.

1) Joss Whedon’s letter to his fans - This month was all about the Avengers (I’ve only seen it twice, so far...) and the rest of the world realizing what all of us Whedonphiles have known for years, Joss is a genius.  Or, to use the popular (although admittedly cheesy) rhyme, Joss is Boss.  But in case you were concerned that it was going to his head that he has what is destined to be in the top 10 (5? 3?) all time grossing films, never fear.  Joss posted this lovely letter to those who have loved him the longest on Wedonesque, a very popular fansite.  

2) Doctor Who Tumblrs - Originally this was going to be a specific image (an Avengers/Doctor Who mashup, involving a mischievous look from Matt Smith’s Doctor beneath a picture of Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury assembling his team), but I can’t find it.  And when I was trying to find it, on tumblr, I instead came across a plethora of awesome images on tumblr and so many amazing Doctor Who images.  Many of which I was previously missing out on (since I was not caught up and did not want to stumble upon any spoilers).  There are quite a few, but I’m partial to the official one, seen here.  

3) tvbythenumbers - I was checking this site compulsively as the various seasons winded down and the major networks announced cancellations and new lineups for the fall.  They tracked (well they track) ratings and made predictions on what shows would survive the year.   Like Nate Silver for TV.  Okay, maybe not that good, but until Nate adds TV ratings to his repertoire, tvbythenumbers is a more than adequate substitute. While I have many issues with the ratings system that networks are ruled by, my favorite shows (well, and every other show) live and die by it, so I figure it is good to pay attention.  This year was mostly kind to me, with Fringe getting a 13 episode final season (instead of cancellation) & a second season of Hart of Dixie.  However it was less kind of my dad, who saw Alcatraz, A Gifted Man, & Missing cancelled.  Sorry Dad!

4) Book Club Question List - I had to send this out to my book club.  While not all are completely accurate, there are definitely more than a few that are ‘so us’, and those that aren’t crack me up anyhow. Like the obvious “is there more wine?”  Although we don’t typically ask that, because we’re generally never short on wine, the question is just can you please pour me some more wine.

5) The Opposite of Loneliness - This is simultaneously uplifting and devastating.  This was written just before a young Yale graduate was killed in a car accident.  Tragically this is making the rounds because of her untimely death.  It is an excellent read, and not just for her fellow 22 year olds whom she is addressing, but for the rest of us.

Books read: 29

Coming Soon: Sarah writes an open letter to the Mariners, pleading with them to spread their offense over more games in hopes of trying to win more often.  31 runs over 2 games is awesome, but being swept by the Angels at home is an embarrassment.

Everything Jamie Knows About Time Travel

Kacey & I have conversations like this all the time.  

How come some vampires can go outside and sparkle while others burst into flame?  

What are the best wizard duels of all time?  

How would the Doctor critique the other time travelers that we know and love?  

We are on a bit of a Doctor Who kick right now (more on that coming soon), so time travel is a hot topic.  Everything I know about time travel I have learned from the movies and TV. Okay, so there was that mini-section on special relativity in Physics in high school.  And it was arguably the most entertaining part of that class (better than my damn bridge).  But I just want to apologize now to people with a real understanding of what actual time travel would involve.  You know, people like Sheldon.   Here is what I know about time travel and where I learned it.

 

• Time machines come in all shapes and sizes.  This can be a DeLorean (Back to the Future), a Police Box that is actually a TARDIS (Doctor Who), a phone booth (Bill & Ted), or some kind of space ship like thing (most other films/shows).
• If you don't have a machine, then some sort of small device will probably work.  Like a timeturner that fits on a necklace (Harry Potter).
• Time is incredibly sensitive.  If you make one small little change, the whole world could be completely insane.  One guy from the past sneaks off with you to the future and and you come back [details have been redacted so as not to spoil Kacey on Eureka plot lines that she has not yet viewed].  Marty McFly (Back to the Future, but I seriously hope you knew that just from the name) almost erased himself from existence.  Try not to do this when travelling in time.  Just stick to the plan and lay low.
• Alternative timelines are complicated.  However, if you have already seen Back to the Future II prior to watching the J.J. Abrams Star Trek film, you will immediately grasp what is going on with this reboot.  Because you know that one little shift creates an alternative timeline where the future is different.  Your main timeline is still there, but you have to undo what caused the split in order to fix it.  Or you can just go on in the newly created future.  It's a choice really.  If it sucks a lot and you can pinpoint the moment of the change, and you have the means to change it, then you should go back and turn left.  You won't remember not existing.
• Do not be seen by yourself.  This would seriously freak you out.  You really shouldn't interact with a past or future version of yourself.  You could create a paradox.  Or just bad things would happen.  Of course, sometimes seeing how awesome your life is going to be can help you to go back and deal with a not so awesome childhood, like in Meet the Robinsons.
• Seeing an alternative version of yourself, however, is probably okay. At least according to Spock, and when is he ever wrong?   
• There are some things that cannot be changed - The Doctor is very clear on this, and when he tries to be bigger than these important moments, it backfires.  Some things simply must happen.  They are too important to the progression of time.
• History is really cool - Bill & Ted really captures this.  I mean, who doesn't want to pick up Socrates & Lincoln for a day to party, and then have them remind us all to be excellent to each other.  Not to mention, you just may get to hang out with Van Gogh or Churchill if you're traveling with the Doctor.  Of course, you may find out that romanticizing the past won't bring you any real happiness, and you should try to appreciate the present and dump your annoying fiance, like in Midnight in Paris.  Only realize this after having drinks with Hemingway.  Always have drinks with Hemingway first.
• Living the same day over and over again is not time travel.  It's torture. I'm pretty sure it's against the Geneva Conventions, but sometimes the powers that be feel you need some additional time to figure out your life (which is my interpretation of Groundhog's Day), or a device goes all wonky in Eureka and you are the only one who knows what is happening.  That, unlike if you are just some TV jerk, does not end well.
• Time is really just a big ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey All of these other things are totally true, but per usual, the last remaining time lord says it best.

 

 

Books read: 29 (The Art of Fielding is amazing)

Coming Soon: After hearing that 50 Shades of Grey was originally Twilight fan fiction, Sarah writes a colorful review of the series, without bothering to read it.  She also looks up the names of the main characters and offers casting suggestions.

Kacey's Random Rambling...

So three things have recently "happened" in my life I needed to share in writing...

I have discovered Pinterest and find it rather addicting.... it satisfies the nerd and the teacher in me...I have taken to sending Jamie some rather entertaining "Geek" things- mostly images.

The second thing is I have recently started watching Doctor Who. Well I've actually watched a lot of Doctor Who and am currently in season five. Shit is good.

These two things have lead me to send Jamie photos such as the following...



 The third thing is my recent discovery of the pindippy website. As I have continued to explore it I find myself giggling a lot. My enjoyment of this site has actually added more fule to my fire about why I love and appreciate funny women...and maybe it's because of international women's day I feel a special need to mention this (ALSO JAMIE'S BIRTHDAY)... but there are some very funny ladies out there who are so super and my hat goes off to them for just being themselves and making people laugh....perhaps I'll put my thoughts together a litte more at a later date and write a full blog about awesome funny females. 
(PS- Jamie today I began following the Bloggess after reading some things on her blog- funny)

Wohoo... two blogs in row are by me! Yup... it must be the end of the school quarter and I must have my finals pretty much completed. *pauses for laughter* *hears crickets*

Happy Birthday Jamie!

Coming Soon: Sarah explains how time is "more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff."