Clear Eyes! Full Heart! Can't Lose!

You may have heard me say this before, but I love Friday Night Lights. So, when multiple sources reported that the show will be renewed for two more years, I did a huge happy dance! This is part of the deal with DirecTV, but I don't care because 1. I have DirecTV and 2. it means the show will be on for 26 more episodes! The deal means two 13 episode seasons. Yippee!!! This means you all have until next summer until you have to hear me talk about the show again (and until next summer to watch seasons one, two, and three)!

Chasing the Years of my Life...

This is from Brandi's blog. She was also kind enough to find a photo of me at 15 or the year I turned 15. Now, if she was only kind enough to find a better photo... I also had some trouble finding a photo from the year I turned 22. This is seriously the only one I can find.

She posted lyrics from Five for Fighting's 100 Years and showed pictures from the mentioned years.

Here is my attempt:

I'm 15 for a moment, caught in between 10 and 20...

I'm 22 for a moment...

33 You're on your way, every day's a new day...

Eventually, Everything Comes Back into Style...

Earlier this year, I heard that Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is being made into a movie. It looks awesome. I cannot wait to see it and see how one of my favorite books is adapted.

Today, I read that Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary is being adapted into a movie, too! I don't necessarily remember this particular book, but Ramona Quimby was one of my favorite characters as a child.

Little Miss will still be too young for either in the theater, but I can't wait to share the books and perhaps the movies with her when she's older. She does have a lot in common with Max making his mischief of one kind and another and another. However, she'll never go to bed without dinner... all bets are off with witholding dessert.

Weekend Update - Wedding Bells

Last Friday, I drove to Pennsylvania to visit a mailshop with which I work. I got there around noon after successfully driving the 3 hours or so to arrive. I took the tour and met a lot of people who were only voices on a phone before. Then, my CSR took me to lunch. We walked around Philadelphia. Then, we checked into my hotel, got our nails done and grabbed dinner. At that point, we were facing the choice of painting the town or, well, going to bed. I hate to say it, but I was exhausted and was sleeping by 10PM. I'm so sad! My big weekend without the baby, and I slept in a giant King size bed hogging all 6 pillows with the temperature at a nice 78 degrees.

On Saturday, I woke up at 6AM. That's the downside of going to bed at 10PM. I dozed on and off until 9AM. At this point, I showered and couldn't find a hair dryer. (Later, I was told it was in a bag in the bathroom. I kind of wondered about the bag, but I didn't really pay attention to it.) So, I walked to a salon I saw the night before and got my haircut. Luckily, it came out good. Then, I watched tv until Husband arrived by train. We drove to a wedding and arrived in plenty of time. The ceremony was beautiful. The reception was a lot of fun, and it was great to see so many friends and have a blast.

Meanwhile, Little Miss stayed at my parents' house. My parents were nervous because she doesn't spend as much time alone with them as with the in-laws, but she's pretty laid back. It seems like she had a blast, and she got a lot really well with the kitty, Toby. She appeared very happy to see us, and we certainly missed her. We played when we got home. Well, she played with Husband after a failed attempt at a nap. He watched her while I rested a little. Then, she played in the bath and went to bed. We'll have a quiet night and head to bed. Now, I only wish I had another weekend to recover!

Sexy Friday

To round out the Irishmen, this week goes to Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He isn't really my type, but I do like this photo. I also did like him in Bend It Like Beckham. I've actually seen more of his movies than I thought, and I did watch the first season of The Tudors. (New season begins Apr. 5 on Showtime. I actually didn't know he was born in Ireland so Sexy Friday is actually educational for me.

Mind Your Own Business!

Garlic is believed to have many health benefits. Not to mention that it keeps away the vampires so I hear. Not to mention the fact that garlic is tasty. So, I walked into my local Trader Joe's for a little lunch supplement and a beverage. I picked up some garlic hummus, Parmesan, Garlic & Herb pita chips, and a bottle of San Pellegrino. I go to check out and, after admiring how nice looking the cashier was, the bag boy (who was also good-looking even though he looked kind of dumb) started talking me up. He first told me that I was going to be all garlic-y later and then asked me how the weather was. It's like "dude, you have sliding doors 50 feet away from you that open every 20 seconds. You can feel what it's like outside unless your brain can't compute that wet means rain, heat means hot, chills mean cold." Also, so what if I turn into a big stinky garlic. It's my business. Don't criticize my shopping... or I'll criticize the hideous bleached streak in your hair. Just for that, I declined a bag and carried my snacks myself.

My Inner Geek Comes Out

Ok, I don't have an Inner Geek. It's all pretty much all out there. Anyway, when I first read that some of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was going to be on The Family Guy, I was super excited. I was a fan of the show and even watch the repeats occasionally. Then, today, I read more and am totally geeking out. If you don't know them, in the above photo is (from L to R), Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, and LeVar Burton. The only additional cast member not pictured who will be in the episode is Denise Crosby who I think is the actor I've seen most lately (and, by "seen", I mean, she's appeared in a lot of my favorite shows within the last year or so).

Anyway, I'll be out of town and afraid I'll forget to watch so I've already recorded the episode on Sunday. It's The Family Guy so I'm sure it's going to be hilarious.

Weekend Update - March Madness

On Friday, we mostly hung out. We had dinner. Little Miss went to bed. Then, I went to bed early to catch up on a little tv on the DVR while Husband watched college basketball.

Saturday, we hung out around the apartment. Then, Husband dropped Little Miss and me off at Brother- and Sister-in-Law's apartment. The boys went to do boy things while the girls hung out. After, we met up with friends at Crystal City Sports Pub to watch basketball. We had dinner and then ended up staying longer than we expected. Little Miss fell asleep at her normal bedtime and we hung out while she slept in the corner. Then, we went home and went to bed.

On Sunday, Husband stayed home with Little Miss while I met a friend and had lunch at Bertucci's. We then walked around the mall before we saw I Love You, Man which was really cute and funny. Then, I came home, ate dinner and hung out with Little Miss. Good weekend, but I need a weekend to recover! Oh, the photo on top is from the bar and the photo on the bottom is from Sunday night when Little Miss decided the basket of dirty laundry was essentially a treasure trove of toys. She just crawled in and had fun. She's a weird one.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I actually don't remember The Very Hungry Caterpillar very much when I was growing up. I know it was around. I better remember The Very Busy Spider. Either way, Eric Carle was always a big part of our lives and he is continuing to be a big part of Little Miss's life by giving her The Very Quiet Cricket which, from numerous blog posts you know she loves and listens to at least four times daily. Anyway, Google honored Eric Carle with his own Google logo today. Google celebrated The Very Hungry Caterpillar's 40th Anniversary and the first day of Spring with the logo, and now the logo joins the large number of special Google logos.

Solemn Friday

I did want to apologize because I know a lot of you look forward to Sexy Friday. I would like to point out that you did have Bonus Sexy this week. This Friday is not Sexy Friday because it seemed too trivial to post Liam Neeson as my Irishman when his wife, Natasha Richardson passed away this week. My heart does break for their family. Losing a family member is difficult enough without the press following your every move. I loved him in Love Actually and now his scenes will always be a little more bittersweet to watch. He was one of my favorite characters in the movie. It seemed wrong to post as Sexy Friday, and I didn't have enough time to find another Irishman. Although, there is nothing sexier than a man in love with his wife. I love that, in this photo, the two are just staring at each other.

(There were some requests for Pierce Brosnan as he was born in Ireland. However, I'm still mad that he tried to sing in Mamma Mia! so he did not deserve Sexy Friday.)

Next week, we will be back with our regularly scheduled Sexy Friday with the last of the four Irishmen.

March Misery

Why do I bother? Most years, I join the NCAA's March Madness Pool. I've never won, but I've haven't hung my head in shame either. This year, I didn't really want to do it. I felt no confidence at all. However, at the last minute, I entered the pool anyway. Then, I found out that I'm close to only choosing 1 of 3 games correct in the first set. One of the games I may lose contains a team I chose to go to the Final Four. Basically, instead of being discouraged and out after the first weekend, I'll be done after the first day. At least I have the excuse that I don't prepare and don't know what I'm doing. Next year, I'm just having Little Miss chose. I bet she'd win. She can't do worse than I am!

Too Sexy! Too Sexy!

Congratulations, Simon Baker for being chosen as TV Guide's Most Sexiest Man. It's a well-deserved honor. However, he already won the most important honor of Sexy Friday. Patrick Dempsey may have had the honor for the last two years, but it was rightfully taken by TV's golden boy of the year.

That said, it's nice to see former Sexy Friday recipients, George Eads and David Boreanaz on the list. Here is the rest of the list: one of my mom's favorites, Maksim Chmrekovskiy; the ever yummy Ryan Kwanten who is deserving of his own Sexy Friday; Matthew Settle who I don't really know well, but he's not so bad; Daniel Sunjata who I always thought was attractive in Rescue Me and The Devil Wears Prada in which Simon Baker shared a screen; Bailey Chase, who I don't know, but I must have seen him in something; Cristian de la Fuente of whom I'm not a huge fan, but he did amuse me in In Plain Sight; and Brody Jenner (I refuse to comment on the last name).

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

I’m raving about how easy this recipe is so I thought I’d share it. It totally made enough for 4 (or for two nights if you're a couple or one night and couple of lunches...).

Ingredients
1 pound linguini
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions
For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

I followed the instructions as given except I would add about a half pound more shrimp than what the recipe calls. It also called for the large shrimp. I used medium shrimp and may downgrade to the smaller size next time. I like things extra shrimpy.

Weekend Update - Let's Go to the Mall

As Robin Sparkles would say, let's go to the mall!

Husband had to work a lot for some big, uh, work thing. So, Friday night, I finished a book and relaxed before Little Miss came home. I fed Little Miss dinner and put her to bed. Husband came home late and we ate a late dinner.

On Saturday, Husband woke up with Little Miss so I could sleep late, but I couldn't. I couldn't fall back asleep. It was horrible. So, I got up. I got up and got ready for an afternoon with a friend. When my friend got here, we drove to the mall. We had a fantastic lunch at Five Guys. Little Miss had some pasta and red sauce for lunch. Then, we went to the germ pit so she could run around. She's so funny because the other kids just don't phase her at all. She kind of ignored the kids and just ran around. A little while later, we walked around. Last, we decided to get some ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. Little Miss always has room for ice cream. On the way out of the mall, we stop at Barnes & Noble. Little Miss played with the other children at the train table. She mostly just took a train and ran all around. I dropped my friend at the train station and went home.

On Saturday night, I went to the grocery store and, while I went, Little Miss had a full-out temper tantrum at the prospect of being left home without me. It was kind of sad. When I came home, she ran to the door to greet me and was very happy. It is a nice feeling to be greeted at the door with such happiness.

On Sunday, Little Miss slept late. She doesn't take many naps on the weekends, and that's fine because she doesn't fuss too much when she's sleepy. So, once we both got up and ready, we drove out to a mall that's a little further away. We shared some lo mein and then walked around. I did a little shopping, and we went home, she ate a mix of peas, strawberries, carrots and a chicken cube for dinner. She's going through a phase where she doesn't eat a lot of meat. As long as she eats something healthy, I don't really care. After some playing, I put her to bed early. I did my nails in "An Affair in Red Square. I'm not too in love with the red right now so I may have to go purple later in the week. Anyway, at this point, I'm just hanging out until Husband comes home. He's been gone since before I woke up. I vaguely recall saying goodbye to him. I'll probably head to bed and watch tv until then.

Two things before I end the recap. First, the weather was horrible this weekend - drizzly and chilly. I wanted to get out of the house, and the mall is easy and can be inexpensive. Second, totally witnessed a Mommy fight. Now, I'm a pretty laid back mom. Kids were bumping into Little Miss left and right. As long as she picked herself up again, I was fine with it. Some kid almost hurt this other kid. He didn't, but he could have. So, the girl's mom told the kid to be careful. It's important to say she didn't grab the boy, but she did put her hand on him to get his attention. At this point, the mommies just lit into each other. They were all screaming. Little Miss chose this point to aimlessly wander over to them. I scooped her up. The Super Mommies scare me, but the Scary Mommies scare me even more! Little Miss had a great weekend and both days, the end result was Little Miss sleeping in the carseat.

Sexy Friday

As this coming week is St. Patrick's Day, I thought who does everybody think of when you mention an Irish actor? Colin Farrell. He's not really my type, but I don't dislike him. Actually, looking at his resume, I don't think I've seen much of his movies. Although, he was in our favorite television show, Scrubs so he can't be all bad.

These are Hard Times...

I was a huge fan of Sesame Street when I was younger. I still watch clips on You Tube every so often. So, when I came across this article, I laughed despite the serious aspect *. Obviously, I don't live in the San Francisco area, but I do enjoy following a couple of columns in SF Gate.

So, if you watched the children's show, which resident of the famous street do you think should get the axe? That's a tough one. I do want to say that I love Slimey so I think he should stay. I do find Abby Cadabby kind of annoying, but that may also be because I'm not 4 anymore.

* This is actually amusing, but it's not amusing that Sesame Workshop is laying off a portion of its staff. We live in tough times.

Romance Novel Survey pt. 2

This is from Naomi. She posted part 2 and what kind of follower would I be if I didn't post accordingly? These questions are interesting because my favorite characters don't always come from my favorite book. I judge the question by itself.

1. Favorite heroine in a romance novel.
I'm going with Eve Dallas in the In Death series by J.D. Robb because she's tough and is strong in her believes and her relationships.

2. Favorite hero in a romance novel.
Anyone who knows me knows that it's Richard Lennox, earl of Downe from Dreaming by Jill Barnett. I mean, the man's voice is compared to hot chocolate. He is noble despite his complaining, protective despite his resistance, and he's a good friend even though he'd never admit it.

3. Favorite romance series (a series being more than 2 books that are related)
The Cheseapeake Bay series - Sea Swept, Rising Tides, Inner Harbor, and Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts.

4. Best location in a romance novel.
I'm going to say Silk and Secrets by Mary Jo Putney. When I think of different locations, I always think of this book. It's also one of my favorites.

5. Favorite secondary hero
Well, duh. Ted Mathison from Perfect by Judith McNaught

6. Favorite secondary heroine
You'd think I'd say Katherine (the second half of my secondary hero), but I like to pretend she doesn't exist. I'm going with Torie from Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

7. Favorite secondary storyline - or book you loved because of the secondary storyline.
Sentimental Journey has wonderful multiple storylines though Neil's story in Dreaming is adorable. Both by Jill Barnett.

8. Favorite romance sub genre.
It depends on the author. I read a bit of the vampires, dabble in witches. However, it's really by author not necessarily by subgenre. I just don't care for fairies or time travel.

9. Favorite paranormal/fantasy romance.
Right now, I'm going to say the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

10. Favorite historical romance.
Eeek. I don't read a lot of historicals anymore. I always say Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer though there are tons of others.

11. Favorite contemporary romance.
Sheesh. I have many, but today, it is Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah because I'm a big fan of Liam Campbell and one line makes me cry every time I read it.

12. Favorite romantic suspense/mystery.
I'm not a huge fan of the romantic suspense/mystery, but as I stated before, I do like the In Death series by J.D. Robb despite the fact that it's futuristic. The characters are what draws me to the series. Plus, some books have a high body count and gore which I enjoy.

Romance Novel Survey pt. 1

This is from Naomi. I thought it would be fun. I also tried not to use the same authors for all of the questions. This made things more challenging.

1. One romance book you've read more than once.
Dreaming by Jill Barnett

2. One romance book you want on a desert island.
Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer though I often answer this with Imagine by Jill Barnett because it actually takes place on a desert island though, unless I find a genie, I don't think the book would give me many tips.

3. One romance book that made you laugh.
Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

4. One romance book that made you cry.
The Nightingale's Song by Kathleen Eschenburg

5. One romance book you wish you had written.
Oh, I wouldn't dream of ruining a favorite book by writing it myself.

6. One romance book you wish you could alter the ending of.
This should actually be under the book that made me cry, but what I did was so beyond crying when I read this book. Cloud 9 by Luanne Rice

7. One romance book you are currently reading.
What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

8. One romance book you have meant to read.
Sex, Lies, and Online Dating and the subsequent books by Rachel Gibson

9. One romance book that changed you or your views in some way.
I don't know if there is one specific book. I'll say Sentimental Journey by Jill Barnett because of the different points of view and locations.

10. One romance book made into a movie that you liked both the book & the movie.
I don't think there is one for romance novels. However, the movie adaptation of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan was excellent.

11. One romance book made into a movie where you liked the book, but hated the movie.
It's wrong to point any out, but pretty much all of them. I would say Rose Hill, the tv movie adaptation of For the Roses by Julie Garwood was disappointing especially because the ending changed. On the flip side, I had no idea Justin Chambers played Cole.

The Odd Couple - Patience & Me

I am not known for being patient. I have my moments when I have a little self-restraint, but I'm in no way patient. For instance, I have had my St. Patrick's Day background and Photo of the Day since the day after the last holiday, Valentine's Day. It's driving me crazy. I want to change backgrounds, photos, colors constantly. Husband once told me that I should stick to one background to brand myself, but it's my blog. I'm not getting any money off it so there's no need to brand myself. It's just to make me happy. I'm happy when it changes daily. That said, I've never looked forward to March 18th more. Stay tune for changes and maybe then my leg will stop bouncing up and down in impatience.

Dear NBC, please don't make me hate you more...

I know, you thought you had some time before I started the propaganda up again. However, I just read that there is the possibility that Friday Night Lights will be picked up and, if so, it will be for TWO SEASONS. I have my fingers crossed. I do have my doubts about a few things, but I don't really care if Kyle Chandler is still on television. I watched him when he got tomorrow's newspaper today, I can certainly watch him coach high school football.