End of the Week Shows

Didn't get time to post yesterday - Thursday night was Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and ER. Sometimes it's hard to watch one hospital drama after the other - I get the story lines mixed up!

All were pretty good - Ugly Betty was probably the most dramatic without cheese it's been - which was good although it is supposed to be a comedy!

Grey's Anatomy was awesome - but I laughed hysterically when Izzy zapped the deer with the paddles, and it jumped up and snorted at her. Very cheesey moment - but funny!!

ER has a new ER chief - which I promptly decided I hate. Like all the others before him, they're never a nice person and you just love to hate them. Neela got hurt really bad so that was the big ending, them all sitting in recovery waiting to see her!

I don't usually watch t.v. on Friday night - was a band mom too many years to know what happens on Friday night fall television. I had started watching the new show "Nashville". FOX cancelled it after only two episodes - good riddance. The first week might have been ok - but last week the music producers looked like idiots with everything but music on their minds when it came to the pretty girls. This kind of show could make it - but it would have to have totally different writers and about a 1000% less sleeze.

Well, I've already written about what I'm watching Sunday night - so I guess premier week is over, at least until January. When 24 comes back, I'll be front and center. After 5 years, I refuse to watch American Idol any longer. There's nothing else rude for Simon to say, nothing else stupid for Paula to say, and Randy has 'dogged' enough to last a lifetime.

Maybe I should try for a job on 60 minutes - I'm beginning to sound like Andy Rooney. Can girls be curmudgeons?

Wednesday Night's Shows

Well, last night I didn't watch the end of House and totally skipped SVU. I don't stress over missing shows, well most of them. If I miss something I'll try to catch it in reruns - if I still don't, oh well! It's just not that crucial. Does that surprise you since I'm doing a day to day outline of what I expect to watch?

Tonight a new show comes on, a spin off of my very favorite show on television the last three years - Grey's Anatomy. Tonight Addison leaves Seattle, moves to the California coast, and gets her own show - Private Practice. The cast is loaded with actors who are all stars in their own right and should equate tremendous success for this show. Tim Daly - who doesn't love him? He didn't do a BTVS episode but he could have - he was the 'smart' brother on Wings and Mike Anderson in Stephen King's Storm of the Century! Great movie by the way!

Added to the cast are Amy Brenneman, Taye Diggs and Audra McDonald. Plus - one of the guys off '24' - Cooper Freedman. "THE" critics are saying it's a show with little to offer and no lasting power - but - Grey's folks will probably sustain it thru at least one season. We'll see.

The only other show I may catch tonight will be "Deal or No Deal". They're supposed to giving an at home viewer one million dollars! Maybe it'll be somebody I know!

Tuesday Night Premiers

Oh yeah! (remember Kool Aid - you gotta say it like that)

Tonight is my 2nd favorite night of premier week. On FOX, I'll watch Bones and House. Bones is a great show - never mind that David Boreanis is beautiful (and BTVS and Angel alum) but all of the characters have endeared themselves to me. I could almost have been Bones herself - if I'd pursued a doctorate and left everything else alone - I could see it. Hodge Podge and Zacaroni (you'd had to have been there) are so cute, especially in the way they love their work. Angela is beautiful and smart and her dad is played by Billy Gibbons!!! Freakin' awesome!!!

Hugh Laurie on House is great - his one liners are so true but cutting - he's a genuine smart ass who doesn't care what anyone else thinks - a man after my own heart no doubt!

At 9:00 - I'll flip to NBC for Law & Order SVU. My daughter turned me on to this show - I'd watched the old Law & Orders, but lost interest. Last year, the USA Network did some SVU marathons, Renee got hooked, then hooked me. It's a good show - sometimes it can be heart wrenching - especially when children are involved.

I guess if I count hours - after tonight it's CBS - 3 hours, FOX - 2 hours and NBC - 1 hour.

Don't call me between 7:00 and 10:00 tonight - I'll be busy!

OK - I've Jumped the Gun

So, just because the week on the calendar starts on Monday - premier week does not. It starts tonight. Yesterday's post is 7 days too early!

Let's see - it's Monday - so I'll watch "How I Met Your Mother". Very cute, some very funny writing - also includes Alyson Hannigan of BTVS (are you beginning to see a pattern?) and Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser fame. I was all about the Doog back in the day!

New show - "The Big Bang Theory". Looks reminiscent of "Freaks and Geeks" which I missed the first time but am heartily enjoying on DVD thanks to Amy and Ben.

Can't miss "Two and a Half Men" - Angus T. Young as Jake goes off to Junior High. Come to think about it - Charlie Sheen is the freak here to Jon Cryer's geek! lol

I don't have a pic for the 8:30 slot - so I'll probably watch "Rules of Engagement" by default. At 9:00 - I will watch CSI-Miami. I don't think I was that crazy about David Caruso when he was on NYPD Blue, but, as Horatio Caine he is awesomely bad! If I was in Miami, I'd get in trouble just to see him take his glasses off and look sideways at me!! This show has some beautiful scenery - my friend Dee used to live in Miami and she said the pictures are really what it looks like - Biscayne Bay is just that blue. WOW!

So for Monday night, CBS wins with me! If I were to skip any of the above, I would like to see K-ville on FOX. The commercials have looked pretty good - but - it will probably not last.

See you tomorrow!

Premier Week - Sunday

OK - it's Sunday, the beginning of premier week on television. I've worked really hard this last week so starting tonight I can relax and watch some television without guilt!!

Tonight - Sunday - I'll watch Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters. The housewives got on my nerves last year - but there's at least one new character coming this season I really like - Nathan Fillion. He was in Serenity and Season 7 of BTVS.

I will probably skip most of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I generally like the show but find the two hour ones are just too much for me. This one is supposed to be set in Hawaii - probably some incredible scenery included, so maybe I will tune in.

I like Sally Fields - always have - so I've enjoyed Brothers and Sisters. Calista Flockhart is iffy - I wasn't an Ally McBeal fan, unless you count the episodes where Jon Bon Jovi starred. He is undoubtedly the most beautiful man in the universe - I will watch him on anything! Back to B&S - the show is produced by Ken Olin, his wife, Patrica Wettig, plays a good role - and it is co-produced by Marti Noxon - another BTVS alumni. Ken and Patricia are alum - among other things - of one of my favorite late 80's series - 30 Something.

I also realize that I need to address the Sunnydale part of my life - I'm just not sure a blog entry can do it justice! I may truly need a full blown web page!!

Watch for my picks for Monday night - I'll give you one hint - it will not be football!

Negativity

Boy - I didn't mean to sound so negative in the last two posts! I guess I got to banging on the keyboard and maybe should have waited a day or two before posting them. But, they are the truth and I'll let it go at that - today!

I will be so glad when my son is back home fulltime. We had a wonderful visit this weekend - it's so nice to see him cheerful, bright eyed, and laughing! He reminded me of the little boy who use to come curl up in my lap all the time!!

He's no longer a little boy though - he's up to 6 ft 1 1/2 inch - and that 1/2 inch is very important!! He has lost about 40 lbs, which he needed to, so he looks great!

No more details - just to say it's still been the hardest thing I've ever been through and I hope and pray daily the upward motion continues.

Prejudice Revisited

I think I have a lot to say on the subject of prejudice. I've witnessed some unbelievable stuff, been the victim more than once, and the only explanation I have ever been able to come up with is ignorance, just total absolute ignorance.

In my last post I mentioned I was married to a black man. We were married 15 years and had two children. As with most marriages, there were ups and downs, it was mostly a roller coaster ride actually, but I don't think the problems had anything to do with race.

Having grown up a little bit, then more and more, overweight, I know all too well how mean folks can be. It's always been so funny to me that people will assume I am an idiot, I mean who would let their weight get this out of control if they weren't, so when I find myself dealing with someone who thinks I'm stupid, I like to just shovel out all the rope they want. Before long, they've hung themselves because they assumed they knew something they didn't.

Then, when the little fat girl married a black man - oh my - you can imagine what was said. He was the only one I could get, black guys like fat girls, yada yada yada. I don't remember any of this ever coming out of the mouth of anything but a white man.

The uglist episode I think we ever encounted was one day, taking the kids to get pictures made. We had them all dressed and dolled up - and we weren't being slouchy ourselves. As we got out of the car and got them out of their carseats - there was a man, a woman, and three or four little kids coming out of Kmart. He had long hair, tattoos, she had dirty stringy hair, all of the kids were in some state of undress and none of them had on shoes. They didn't look like anyone had had a bath lately either. So Ronnie and I have our little spit polished jewels we're walking into the store and this man stops in the middle of the road and proceeds to tell his wife and kids what a damn shame we were. Then they go on their little hoopy car, put all the kids in the backseat with no carseats, and drive off. It was just surreal - it made no sense at all. Still doesn't.

And my mom's take on the marriage thing was "it could be worse - you could have married any one of those white boys you brought home".

Election Results & Bigotry

I think I started this entry, then left it for some reason. Anna was re-elected to the 16th! YEAH!! Karl Dean won - I'm fine with that. The council at large members - I'm ok with all but one - I don't particularly care for Charlie Tygard - I don't particularly care for most old white men - so he loses out by default.

It's my own problem I suppose, but of all the prejudice and bias I've ever been subjected to - either because my husband was black (God forbid!), my kids are biracial, I was overweight - it has always been at the hand and mouth of some old white man.

I went in a well known furniture store once, looking for new living room furniture. I was alone and looking at a patterned print I liked - he informed me that only "black" people bought that, I should be shopping on the other side of the store. He had no idea of course that I'd was about to marry a black man - and he continued on some racial slurs, all of which I can't remember because I was blinded by rage. Needless to say, I didn't buy anything. I have no clue what I said to the man, but as I turned to walk out, he was standing with his mouth hung open. I've only lost myself in anger a few times, this was one of them!

Ever notice that I go all around the world in my post - I just don't stay on subject very well do I? Well, my mind spirals out of control and I just can't help it!

Election Day (Again!)

Today is the runoff election in Nashville. We're are hopefully electing a Mayor, 4 at large council seats and 7 other undecided district council seats.

I didn't early vote this time - I lost track of time and it was over - so I'll go in just a few minutes to my usual polling place. It's kinda nice to go there, gives me a chance to see old friends from my old neighborhood and catch up with them.

I'll be anxiously waiting for 7:00 pm - I'll be on the computer to check totals from the early vote and watch as totals roll in.

No doubts to anybody around me who I'm supporting - I hope Karl Dean is the next Mayor, but I'll live with Bob Clement. My pics for at large at Megan Berry and Ronnie Steine, Jerry Maynard and Ronnie Greer. The most important election to me is the 16th district council seat. Anna Page is my pick. She has held the seat for only 9 months, but she has worked very hard and has been dedicated to improving this community for several years. Those things mean alot to me - my community has problems, whose doesn't, but I like a person who tries to address them instead of sitting around bashing folks because of them.

Well, my soapbox for today. Tune in tomorrow for election updates!!

Tales from a 1979 Buick Regal

Yesterday I went with a group of senior citizens from this area to see a production of Steel Magnolias. It was really good - everything took place in Truvy's shop so some of the dialogue changed for the scenery, but it still told the story and was very funny in all the right places. The matinee included a lunch buffet which was very good - dessert was cheesecake and RED VELVET CAKE WITH GRAY ICING!!

I really like to see live productions and/or live music. I think seeing musicians or actors perform in person brings so much more to their craft, and their product.

I think back to all the concerts I've been to - the big ones and the small dives where I went to watch my brother play. It was always so enjoyable - I love the atmosphere and the feeling of festival!

If you read my sister's post - you've read about the great Van Halen incident. My 1979 Buick Regal was a force to be reckoned with - I drove way too fast and the music was always blaring. I only had the factory stereo - I can imagine if I was 18 today what I'd have in a vehicle. I never hear "Running with the Devil" today without remembering in the pit of my stomach that sinking feeling when I heard that train whistle, while on the tracks, and could only think, "My God, I've killed Amy!".

And, I had to chuckle when Amy called to see if I'd seen Van Halen in concert - three times with David Lee Roth! Her next question was did I remember any of it? Those were the days!!

I am beginning to really be bothered by some hearing loss too - some of that's heredity from my dad's side of the family - the rest I can chalk up to Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, and Rush, along with all my regular favs that I cranked up.

Sometimes I dream about that little car - it represents the rite of passage for not only me, my brothers, Amy, but a host of other friends. I finally traded it after 7 years, 13 or 14 wrecks, 2 engines, at least 10 sets of tires, and numerous other things not countable (or mentionable!) I hope it's resting in peace somewhere!

This is one post I hope my children don't read!!

About Hogwarts

I first became aware of who Harry Potter was when my daughter, now 18, was in the 4th grade. Her teacher was reaching the first book "The Sorcerer's Stone" to them aloud in the class. Since she and some of her buddies were in my after school program, I'd here them discuss it and words like "muggle" and what it meant. Didn't even think about reading it myself - must be a kids book right?

A couple of years later I was reading Stephen Kings "On Writing". Now, to say that Stephen King is my favorite author of all times is a big understatement. I have one whole bookcase dedicated to him - own almost every movie on VHS - and working on a DVD collection. I even own a 8 x 10 glossy portrait of him that is not framd and hanging because that is where the kids drew the line. In their words, I was bordering on insanity or stalkerism, or both, and a framed picture of him hanging in our house would be the final step toward committment to a place I couldn't voluntarily leave. The picture is on the bookcase, hidden between two books, but don't tell them!!

Anyway, he'd listed, in the back of the book, what he'd read for the last year. Very impressive list, I'd say he reads 4-5 books a week, not bad at all! On the list was Harry Potter - the first three books. So, in my mind, if my literary hero had read them, why shouldn't I? By this time, Renee owned all three books so I borrowed the first one and began to read.

I finished it the next morning, read "Chamber of Secrets" that day and "Prisoner of Azkaban" the next. I was hooked! Since that time, the release of a Potter book has been a big deal at my house. I bought books 4 and 5 the day they were release, book 6 Renee and one of her friends picked up for me at midnight on release day and book 7 - Renee and Amy picked up all of our books at midnight of release day while they were attending the Potter Ball at the bookstore! You can refer back to my early blogs about reading book 7.

When the first movie came out, I took my two kids and my niece Meaghan to see it on the first night. I usually wait and catch the movies on DVD now, but my kids and Amy and her husband Ben see premier day!!

There is one bookshelf dedicated to Harry Potter in my house - all the books, #5 on tape, a Potter snowglobe, some figures, the movies, and Bernie Botts Beans! I'm quite sure some folks bought them to eat - mine are displayed and better never be missing from that shelf!

Harry Potter has brought a great deal of enjoyment to me and my family. It's been a joy to see converts within the family (Amy and Ben first, now Mitzi's niece Crystal). We have Potter Trivia games, calendars, screensavers, and ringtones. I even had a Potter birthday party for my 42nd!

It's hard to imagine life without a new Potter book to look forward to - we sitll have two more movies that will be fun to wait for.

If you've ever wondered, don't! Don't worry about the magic sending the wrong message - the story is just so good and everyone loves Harry, Ron, and Hermione so much.

Last Word on Tara!

OK OK - I need to address the Tara issue one last time (I think). Scarlett O'Hara became a hero to me - in the face of adversity she always rose to the occasion - even if her rising became quite scandalous! I like that, and wish I was a little more like her. She was probably the first real liberal woman I'd witnessed in action (besides my mom) and they both made a lasting impression. Both of them set a bar quite high - and I am grateful for that. If we don't set goals that require us to stretch, we become decrepid, rigor sets in, and we fade away to dust.

All that being said, I challenge you dear reader (I stole that phrase), to reach a little higher, set at least one goal that seems out of reach today, and don't let go of your dreams. Dreams can, and do, come true if you commit yourself and work hard!

After all, tomorrow is another day!

Tough!

The cutest thing I heard today - the song I'd written about earlier - "I Thought I was Tough" - my daughter has that has her ringtone for me! That says a lot - she and I never discussed the song - makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!!

On to something else - remember how I said I attracted folks with problems? From out of the blue this week, the ex husband called - not something that happens very often. AND, someone I thought I liked until I found out how crazy he really was surfaced again. It's like they run in cycles - you can bet if Ronnie (the ex) ever calls that Glenn (the psycho stalker) will surface shortly. There was a full moon earlier in the week - so that probably explains it. I just have to shake my head - neither of them stand a chance in hell around here!

Something good coming up Monday - I'm driving my son back to Memphis - which is kind of sad, but, it may be our last if not next to last trip! My daughter and I are going to stop at this scrapbook store - Eclectica - in Bartlett. I'm excited about it - they have a really cool website - and they have card and book kits each month. Maybe since we're getting their on the 3rd I'll be able to get them - they're having a 60% off sale today and tomorrow only - I'll miss that dang it!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!