late to the party

My latest topic o’uselessness on twitter was being late to parties. Not real parties, of course, but the proverbial ones. You know what I mean. As I was watching the last two episodes of Season 4 of The Wire today, I was thinking to myself how incredibly good this show is…and then I thought of how people were saying that seven years ago.

The more I thought about it, I realized I can’t think of a single TV show (with multiple seasons under its belt, still broadcasting or cancelled) that I love and have watched from day one. I think the closest I’ve come is 30 Rock, but even then I missed a good chunk of the first season. I was busy thinking Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was the good “behind the comedy sketch show scene” show*. Hm. But really, let’s examine this: Sports Night. LOST. How I Met Your Mother. Arrested Development. Family Guy. The Office. Flight of the Conchords. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. West Wing. Big Love. Some of these I jumped on a season or two in, some of them not even until they were over. For several years.

I make the specification of multiple seasons just because we don’t know how things will play out, and (*)clearly I have television judgement issues. Shows may start out great but then they start sucking: Desperate Housewives. Or shows that I loved only made it through one season, if that: Justice. Or a combination of both: The Nine. Six. Perhaps other numbered shows.

I don’t fare much better with music. I’m a huge fan of Ray Lamontagne, but didn’t discover him until right before his second album came out. I love Jimmy Eat World but I didn’t catch on to them until, geez, their fourth album, I think? Anyway I can think of very few bands that I have found without recommendation from others, or seeing them in a public forum considered to book successful artists. Though if Coconut Records (Jason Schwartzman) becomes more commercially successful, we can forget this whole paragraph. Or at least I’ll have one example to the contrary of the general theme I’m portraying here.

Though I guess it’s a little more difficult to say “you knew them when” for bands/musical acts. With TV shows, they are either made or they aren’t. You can’t have varying levels of “underground” with TV shows. I guess the closest you would come to such a thing is what they call a cult following? With music, you can argue you saw an act live before an album ever came out, or an independently produced album or record only had like 30 sales or some such craziness, or hell, you saw them on VH1’s “You Outta Know”. I don’t know.

I’ve only mentioned TV and music, but certainly there are books* and movies* too.

What I’m trying to find out is, am I the only one that is late to any and seemingly all pop culture parties? Or have you been the first and only guest to arrive at a party that sunk harder than the Titanic?



*Didn’t start reading Harry Potter until Book 4 had come out. *Didn’t see Shawshank Redemption until maybe three years ago.

shake it up

The last two weeks have been pretty excellent. Friends from out of town, some new experiences, and a completely overhauled, shiny, new resume. Shakin' things up over here. Likin' it.

For one, the last couple weeks' fantasticness (it's a word. look it up. er, wait. don't) has been due to the appearance of a certain Kristin Delo and Dan Myers, on a whirlwind east coast tour. Luckily we were all able to spend a solid amount of time together, with babies and friends and wii and all the things you need to make a good night o’ friendship. I heart us.

Also, the fantastic Kelly Obenauer came to visit! She was in the city for a conference, being an adult and what not, so I went into the city to visit. It had been two years since we saw each other, which is alllll sorts of absurd. So we walked around and saw the cherry blossoms, and Bob Ryan getting his on-location forecast on. And yes, I did geek out a little bit. Local celebrity, eee! HOWEVER, let it be said, he is no Doug Hill. We also walked up to the Lincoln Memorial, and then up to the White House, then on to Chef Geoff’s for dinner! It was an excellent D.C. day. I’m always up for being a tourist in my own city. Except for when I get irritated by the real tourists. Mostly on the metro. Moving on.

In other news, I have started volunteering with a not-for-profit, called Project Create. They coordinate and provide professional arts instruction for at-risk youth in emergency or transitional housing in D.C. In June, they have their annual showcase of art (made by the kids) in MLK library so I’m helping them do stuff for that. Should be pretty cool. Good for the resume, good for the organization and it’ll give me some real event planning/prep experience.

I’m happy to be doing something work-related while still looking for a position. I really can’t take unemployment much longer. I’m hoping the things I’ve been doing in the last couple weeks will have shaken things up and reenergize my efforts. We’ll see!

I have a confession to make..

I watch this video (still....it came out in October of 08) probably twice a week. And I can't hear the real version now without singing this version in my head.





My favorite parts are how high Will Forte's voice goes on the "vampire BUT with dogs" and then Amy giggling in the background at the end. Gets me every time. Still.

my day in noises

blerggg (don't want to get up)

awwww (didn't end up getting to see babies or Thomas fam today)

AGH (playing mariokart)

SHHHHH (wishing our next door neighbor's dog would STFU)

*&#(@&! (playing super mario brothers 3)

meh (making final changes to new resume)

sighhhh (applying to job whose deadline is tomorrow)

eeeeeeeeeee! (making/finalizing plans to see kelly obenauer tomorrow in dc!)

EEP

This is what happens when you try and fix something that wasn't broken. I lost the old layout in trying to Fancy-New-Beesley-ify things. WHY!?

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: I think it's back to normal. ARG. (sooo, how's everyone doin'?)

40 years

Mom trying to show Dad how to add Favorites to the computer we set up in the basement for him...

Mom: “Now say, you have a web site that you just love…”

Me: “You’re obsessed with it”

Dad: “Like eHarmony”

Mom: *glares at Dad*

Dad: “Oh, okay, so, not eHarmony. Let’s say ‘I’mHappyInMyMarriage.com’”

Mom: “how about ‘eYou’reDead.com?’”

random thoughts.

I watched three documentaries this weekend. I guess I’m watching so many because there are a ton of good ones available in the “Watch Instantly” section of Netflix, so…I pay for it, why not use it? Plus it was a rainy Saturday, perfect for curling up under a cozy down comforter and watching movies. You could say all three of these were educational in a non-educational sort of way. Which is to say, I was entertained more than I was educated. But that’s okay.

In addition to “Fuck” and “Jesus Camp”, as I indicated via twitter, I watched “Super High Me”. It was a sort-of spoof of Super Size Me, obviously. Doug Benson (comedian, usually on Best Week Ever slash all VH1 talking head shows) is apparently a big stoner, and he decides to stop smoking pot for 30 days, and then smokes pot all day every day for 30 days. He does all kinds of tests, gets a physical, etc etc before and after. It also goes into a lot of state/federal law issues that California faces. I was more excited by all the stand-up comedian cameos than I was the “message” of the movie, in all honesty. Arj Barker makes a brief appearance – I have a big crush on him. If you don’t know him, he plays Dave on Flight of the Conchords. I heart him. Paul F. Tompkins, Rob Riggle, and Zach Galifianakis also make appearances. I think I might be a stand-up comedy nerd.

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I have this feeling that something is going to happen soon job-wise. I have no evidence of this. Something in the air, I don’t know, but I’m gonna embrace that feeling for a little while. My sudden optimism, I’m sure, will only be increased this week due to the following things:

*Frank, Blue and Parker return Wednesday night
*I got a haircut today.
*Because of FB&P’s return, I will spend the next three days cleaning the house from top to bottom. Not a fun process, but the end results always make me feel good.

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Can I talk about OPI nail polish for a second? Can I talk about how much I love it, and it’s the only kind of nail polish I own now? I try to not be a snob about beauty products, but OPI is just so good compared to the other eighty billion brands I’ve tried. I used Revlon for a while because it’s what my grandmother used, but…it chips in three seconds. Sally Hansen streaks like a mofo. I won’t explain why I don’t use Wet n Wild. (hint: it’s because I’m not 13)

Nail polish has a weird effect on me; it’s such a mood-changer. A couple of weeks ago, after I picked my nails to death, I took a file to them and then put bright cherry red nail polish on them. I instantly felt kind of sassy, but a little 50s retro too, mixed in with a dash of gumption. ALL BECAUSE OF A NAIL POLISH. I don’t know if my mood is too easily influenced or what, but it works. Am I the only one?