Archives for August 2009
Dinner and a Movie
All of the girls at St. Seraphim decided it was time to get together somewhere other than church or the playground. So they all got babysitters and decided to hit the town- so to speak. Really, it was more like hit the mall.
But we hit it. We ate at PF Chang’s, a nice Chinese restaurant. From there, we went to see the infamous tear-jerker, Time Traveler’s Wife.
The evening was fun, although at first I felt intimidated. “I’m 23!” I kept thinking. “These people were starting Kindergarten when my parents got married! None of them would have EVER talked to me just a few years ago! Why am I all of a sudden considered, ‘One of them’?” Half of the group already own a house and have multiple kids. Heck, Lori (the mother of Lola, my god-daughter) has 4 kids, a huge house and a Masters degree! And she’s not even 30! I just didn’t feel like I was as important or successful.
But then I realized, when do you ever consider yourself “there”? I bet that none of these women woke up today thinking, “Yes! I get a 4.0 GPA in Reality!” There’s no definition for success once you’re out of a university setting. There’s just life.
There was only one awkward moment when an 65 year old Texas gentleman came up to the table and said, “Excuse me ladies, you all are looking mighty fine tonight, but you are NOT doing the gents any favors. You should be smilin’ at them as they walk by! Catchin’ their attention!
Katie was the first to respond: Oh no sir. We’re all married. Except for those 2! <pointing at Anne and Karen>
Karen: Way to throw us under the bus!
Anne: Yeah. Next time, we’re ALL married, k?
Craigslist Awesome-ness Strikes Again!
My entryway display is not yet complete, which is why I haven’t posted any pictures of it yet.
One of the key elements missing in this aforementioned display is an antique Underwood typewriter. Every vintage entryway needs an Underwood typewriter.
Unfortunately, most of these typewriters go for around $100, even on Craigslist. There’s already a long list of things we need to buy before then, essential things. Like bread. And Diet Coke. And an entertainment stand that Topher can’t climb.
So I’d already resigned myself to waiting a long time before buying one.
Knowing that I am unable to buy something doesn’t stop me from looking. Usually.
And I’m so glad I didn’t stop!
Because I just found EXACTLY what I was looking for!
Guess how much?
$100???
Try $10 !!!!
Even better, it still works!
It was posted this morning, but the only reason it’s still available is because its location is a small Podunk town an hour east of Dallas.
Luckily, for an extra 5 bucks the lady is willing to meet me halfway (I guess no one learned the lesson, It never hurts to ask!).
Thank you Craigslist (and Virginia of Greenville!) for my new $15 typewriter!!
Don’t Hate Me
I have a TV series recommendation. And you might hate me for it. But I really can’t help it. I can’t keep this secret.
I’m addicted to Desperate Housewives.
In fact, I finished Season 1 in 3 days.
I know.
I’m not usually one to like trashy/soap opera TV.
And I don’t.
But I don’t believe that Desperate Housewives is trashy. Maybe a little bit soap opera, but only in the way that shows like House are.
Sure, it’s not the most thoughtful show on television. But it’s witty as all get-out. The characters are EXTREMELY lovable, the story-lines are intriguing, and there are moments so awkward that it reminds me of the first 5 minutes I ever watched The Office. To top it off, it’s also deeply touching.
Throw in a “Who Done It” murder mystery that carries the entire season, and there you have it. A winning combination.
After devouring Season 1, as I already admitted, I read some of the reviews. They were filled with people admitting that they NEVER expected to like the show, but watched the first episode on a whim and were hooked.
In case you are still skeptical, here are some spoilers that I hope will intrigue you.
The first episode opens, showing you the perfect suburbian dream- mom, dad, kid, big house, perfect life.
And then, once the dad leaves for work and the kid leaves for school, the mom shoots herself.
And no one can figure out why, least of all her 4 best friends.
Until they clean out her possessions and find out that someone was black-mailing her.
Each of her 4 friends has their own unique situation, filled with funny outlandish moments coupled with ones that every married person can relate to.
Lynette used to be a successful career woman, but now she has 4 kids who terrorize the neighborhood. She’s probably my favorite, mostly because the relationship between her and her husband is so….real. And healthy. Plus, she’s dealing with identity crisis, something that not just stay-at-home moms go through. And she has monologues so brilliantly verbose that Dr. Cox of Scrubs would be envious. One of the best moments is when she gets pulled over by a cop because her kids are rough-housing in the back seat without seat belts. The cop tries to tell her what a bad mother she is. Lynette’s insecurities fade as her shark-like business woman persona kicks in. Let’s just say, she doesn’t get a ticket. I can just imagine every over-worked mother cheering her on.
Or take Gabriella, the picture perfect trophy wife who married for money. And she seems happy, until she reveals in the first episode that she’s been chasing all the wrong things. 6 episodes later her husband is arrested by the FBI for shady dealings and she is forced to not only go back to work, but has to steal a port-a-potty for their backyard since their plumbing broke down.
Then there’s Bri, an OCD picture perfect wife who can’t stop being task-oriented long enough to realize that her husband and kids are miserable. They walk in to marriage counseling and as she hands the Psychiatrist hand-made potpourri, her husband says, “Yes, to answer your question. You WILL be making a lot of money off of us.”
Lastly, there’s Susan, a single mother of a teenage daughter whose husband left her for his secretary. She’s “lovable crazy” with an extreme talent for winding up in the most awkward embarrassing situations. Like accidentally burning down her neighbor’s house.
All this is to say, that the producers do a good job of showing not only “The American Dream” in its stark shady reality, but they do it with an air of ironic humor that keeps the viewer from feeling either depressed or brain-washed.
Try the first episode and tell me what you think.