This is why I can't jump into random shows: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/omg_svu_WbCfyKeSS4Czh9m6MRiblM

( I would like to now express myself in the following GIFs. )

They'll have to put the entire country on suicide watch if they kill him off.
First, NBC ditches David Tennant's pilot, then Conan, and now this?
NBC, I may be breaking up with you.

Why, hello there, 2010!

I have so many plans for this year...this decade really (and, yes, posting more often is one of them). Four days in, though, and I'm already losing track of time. But, I'm a "decade's half-full" kinda person so here we go!

Thus far, I've had two photo shoots and am currently house/dog sitting for some friends in Burleson. We brought the new year in with Mario Cart Wii marathons and a pretty intense game of Yahtzee. For the record, I'm horrible at Yahtzee but am amazing at Mario Cart. Just fair warning.

A decade ago, I was counting down to my eighteenth birthday and high school graduation. I had it down to minutes and seconds, just waiting for my life to start. Looking back, I'm not where I expected to be but I wasn't really sure where I was going anyway. Looking forward, I'm still not sure where I'm headed but I'm going head first and full speed ahead.

In other news, I cried a little when David Tennant left Doctor Who, I'm almost caught up on The Big Bang Theory (I love Sheldon more than I should...), and I have a petition for all of you to sign to stop the USA network's Marathons of DOOM. I'm completely addicted to Law and Order: SVU now and lost entire days to the marathons. They MUST be stopped!

I should be asleep! I have to go back to work tomorrow after being down for an entire week thanks to an awesome case of bronchitis...and Christmas. I had such responsible plans to go to bed early and get back into the routine. Oh well.

News? Well, Happy Late Christmas! I didn't do much. Saw Sherlock Holmes with friends on Christmas Day (which was ten kinds of yummy) and played some Mario-Cart on Wii. Also, introduced Dustin to Glee (WIN). Yesterday was spent with my sisters and niece, and good GRIEF, my family is dysfunctionally exhausting. Good times all around.

I don't have too much other news...I basically checked out while I was sick last week. I mean, lay-on-the-couch-watching-USAnetwork-marathons checked out. And thanks to the thousands of re-runs of Law and Order: SVU, I'm seeing pedophiles and rapists EVERYWHERE. I was due a mental break but my goodness, I didn't do anything other than feed Sean and Danielle's cat and play Fable 2 on their Xbox. Which I beat. IN A WEEKEND! Y'all it was pathetic.

Okay, I should sleep.

I have a Winter Wonderland sugar-rush happening over in my virtual gifts! Thanks to ravens_gate, wishkey, fahrbotdrusilla, and airolf for my Snowflake cookies!!!

Not much happening over here other than work. And cold weather...in Texas. TEXAS. It's going to be 22 tonight. Ridiculous.

First up, they're filming Super in Shreveport. The cast? Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, and Ellen Page. Am I doing everything in my power to get on that set? Absolutely. Will it happen? Probably not. But you can't blame me for trying.

Second, Dallas landed another TV series called Jack and Dan, starring Colin Hanks and BRADLEY WHITFORD. I've already told my boss that I'll need some time off to stalk them.

Third, a while back we got a handful of actors in a movie being filmed in Texas called The Legend of Hellsgate. It's been filming all over the place. We didn't make a big deal out of it because we all just assumed it was an old cowboy movie. Linda went to visit the set when we booked Glenn Morshower on it. I got to thinking and looked it up. SUMMER GLAU is the lead. Oops.

So last night, I went with Linda to set. Just to say I was on it, even though Summer has already wrapped (JesseEpicFAIL). Got to see my old buddy, Drew Waters, as a cowboy.

I got to the set before Linda and had to get past security on my own. I wasn't sure it would happen...because, honestly, my name isn't the one you drop. So I tell a PA who I am (and who I work for) and she runs off leaving me behind as a pack of teenagers glare at me (apparently, this guy is a big deal). Anyway, the PRODUCER follows the PA back with big smiles and takes me up to set. UNREAL. I get a big hug from Drew and hang around with a really cool pack of people while I try to wrap my head around the fact that I just walked onto a set with my own name. *flail*

I'm messing around on my phone (because I can't go two seconds without being on it) and a guy named Jamie introduces himself. We talk briefly and he's called back to set. Turns out he's a big deal too. The teenagers really hate me now. Lesson learned? I should watch more television...

Oh, and there are always photos, aren't there? If only iPhotos:


And it shall be called, "Mini Moon". So. Cool.


This is Drew and my boss, Linda. They tried to "ugly-up" Drew to be a badass cowboy...the ugly didn't stick.

Anyway, got home about 2am and have some photo shoots this afternoon to gear for. I'm running and running and not looking back. Life is good.

A handful of people have asked me for a list of stuff that is on my iPod. So here I present my "Favorites Right Now" playlist. And, beware, it is RANDOM.

Running Up That Hill by Placebo
Staring At The Ceiling by Keane
Fireflies by Owl City
Human by The Killers

"But sometimes I get nervous when I see an open door. Close your eyes, clear your heart, cut the cord...You taught my everything I know. Wave goodbye, wish me well. You've gotta let me go."

Can You Tell by Ra Ra Riot
Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez
Wait It Out by Imogen Heap

"Pain on pain on play, repeating. With the backup makeshift life in waiting.Everybody says that time heals everything. But what of the wretched hollow? The endless in-between? Are we just going to wait it out?"

All Is Love by Karen O and the Kids (You heard this during Where the Wild Things Are)
The Saints Are Coming by The Skids (You heard this during The Boondock Saints 2)
Pot Kettle Black by Tilly and the Wall (You heard this during Whip It! and it is best played at full volume.)
Boys Wanna Be Her by Peaches (You heard this during Whip It!)
Pork And Beans by Weezer (You heard this during Whip It!)

"Imma do the things that I wanna do, I ain't got a thing to prove to you...I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like. I'm fine and dandy with the me inside. One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink. I don't give a hoot about what you think "

All The Right Moves by OneRepublic
Run This Town by Jay-Z (I don't know either. Every now and then, a rap song sneaks in.)
Keep on Trying by Poco
Vienna by Billy Joel

"But you know that when the truth is told that you can get what you want or you can just get old."

Come Back Home by Pat McGee Band
By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North
Lay 'Em Down by Needtobreathe
Something Beautiful by Needtobreathe

"This is my desire: Consume me like a fire, cause I just want something beautiful to touch me. I know that I'm in reach 'cause I am down on my knees waiting for something beautiful."

I told you. Random.

I'm watching last Friday's Dollhouse right now and never thought I'd hate a character played by Vincent Ventresca but duuuuuuuudde.

Anyway.

This weekend started with a bang as I went with Molly (and her little dog, Remus) and hiked up a massive hill in Arlington. Nearly killed myself but got to the top and it was GREAT.

Then spent the day at the Dallas Farmer's Market. PHOTO HEAVEN!

Today, I went out on the regular trail and was met with a bobcat having breakfast. Lucky for Remus, duck was on the menu and not little dog. But, wow, got a bit of an adrenaline rush being a few feet from a wild cat.

I wrapped up yesterday and today with a few rounds of bowling and thanks to Baylor's bowling class for an easy credit, I still stink. But it was good times.

Now, it's raining again (I should really unplug my computer) and we're back at Monday but I have Nathan Fillion to look forward to with a nice topping of Hugh Laurie. Could be worse...

Oh, this is COOL.

Spoilers (not really) for second season of Fringe...

One of my jobs at work is to send the fan mail we receive out to the actors. I, of course, screen all letters and send out only the respectable ones.

Today...well...we got this:


Note: "Sorry about the paper and envelopes we are using. We like to recycle whenever possible."

Flip the paper over and you get this:


Uhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

Now, it's normal protocol that when you send your favorite actor/actress a piece of fanmail asking for their autograph, you also enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for a speedy return.

Here's the self-addressed, stamped envelope that was enclosed:

Now, the hole can easily be overlooked as a style choice but the already used stamp is a little beyond the call of "Going Green", I think.


And I guess, it's hard to recycle spit...so here are stickers.



The ultimate question remains...did I forward the mail to the actor? Yes. But (only after showing everyone in the office, taking photos, and posting on Facebook) with a Post-It note attached that read - "Best. Fanmail. EVER."

I'm so writing a book.

Annnnnnnd....

( Kristen Wiig is officially my new favorite person. )

PS - Simon Pegg was already a favorite...You knew that.

PSS - The videos are behind the scenes from the new movie "Paul"...coming out some time in 2010. Buy tickets! Too soon?

If you haven't seen it yet, The Booby Scare is hilarious.

In other news, I'm just working. And trying to drink more water.

(For the full experience of this paragraph, it's best to read it as quickly as you can, as I am caffeinated right now.)**In TV news, Jillian Michaels might be my new hero. I highly recommend tuning in just to see her yell at people...which takes me straight to House, loved the Biggest Loser crack and the episode in general ("Et tu, bootay?"). Except Foreman, he's just a JERK. Castle was fun this week, like always ("Girl Scout cookies are sold in Febuary."). It even kicked Jay Leno's butt for ratings (Like, 9.56 million to 5.64, NathanFillionSHOUTOUT). Beckett's wardrobe has improved from last season, but they still need to figure out her hair...It's looking a bit like a mullet. I enjoyed NCIS though didn't really know what was going on. I guess that's what I get for skipping three seasons. I think I'm over The Good Wife, it's not really holding my attention (JuliannaMarguliesFail*sad*). Looking forward to Glee tonight...

Lastly, GOOD GRIEF, tomorrow is October. WTF Time!?

John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer get interviewed by Entertainment Weekly. They are ADORABLE.

And, I don't watch How I Met Your Mother but the Season 4 Gag Reel is kinda making me re-think that decision.

But I'm not. Heck, I'm still in my pajamas. My love for Saturday knows no limit.

So let's talk about TV. Rise your hand if you're happy TV season is here!

I have a new show. I am LOVING Fringe (Australian Actresses for the win!). Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first season but the second season is really stepping it up. I'm nearly in fangirl mode here...

Now, before the hardcore X-Files fans delete me from their list, let me explain!

...Okay, I don't have an explanation. Other than The X-Files is over and it's time to move on and Fringe takes the unexplained premise to the next level. Also, they frequently acknowledge that the show is because of The X-Files, not in spite of it. See? I mean, how can you not love them for not only making an episode out of the combination of "Home" and "Detour" but they used the SAME house. Oh, Vancouver.

That and, boy, it's nice to have a show again to anxiously look forward to every week.

Reactions so far this season:
( Contains spoilers and speculations from 2x01 and 2x02 )

You know you and your friends watch too much science fiction/horror/TV in general when this conversation occurs at the beginning of the second episode (where DudeAboutToGetMurdered walks into a creepy field):

"Oh, don't go in there."
"At least have a weapon you idiot!"
"There's something in the those tubes waiting for you!"
"Nah, it's hiding in the field!"
"No! It's the scarecrow...it's ALIVE!"
"The mother ship is coming back for you, take cover!"
"Earthquake!"
"What's wrong with you! Don't investigate the blue goo! You're not qualified!"
"You're going to mutate!"

(DudeAboutToGetMurdered gets pulled into the ground)

"TREMORS!!"
"We warned you."
"They never listen to us."

"Even the crow mocks you."

Spurred by a menacing mechanic's prophecy of doom, "Get ready, your transmission is not long for this world", I've become suddenly quite sentimental. I've had my 2000 (hatchback, two door, uncool) Ford Focus for nine years and a month. It's 2,000 miles short of 200,000 miles. It's the longest relationship I've ever had with anything. I remember the first reactions to it when I brought it back from Austin..."What is THAT?!"

It came with a bike on the shiny new bike rack. I thought it was pretty neat and my father told me that the bike was for "when the car breaks down and you gotta ride the bike for help". The bike was later stolen from the campus of that great Christian university, Baylor, and the keys to the rack are long lost. There's quite a bit of rust happening up there now. But, it looks like I'm an adventurous, outdoorsy person. When I first bought the car, the entire inventory of my possessions could fit into it. And did. Often. I've slept in and lived out of it for brief periods of time for various reasons.

Over the years, I've taken exceptional care of the car. When the door window motor broke, I duct taped the window in place to keep the rain out. For a year. When I did finally get it replaced, the other door window motor promptly broke as well (it's a give and take relationship). Oil changes are every 6,000 miles. Ish. If you want in the back seat, you gotta get violent (a good hard punch to the back of the seat will get it to pop forward). When I'm in the mood, I even get it washed inside and outside once a year. Ish.

I've learned to change a tire with speed and accuracy... okay, without looking like a complete idiot (FYI, Ford factory standard spare tires last FOREVER). One summer, we discovered that the back seat will hold exactly eight and a half preteen youth group members - fifteen if the seat is folded down. That dinging noise you hear? The key ignition sticks and, yes, I do have to hit this hard to make it stop. I learned (the hard way) what a gas filter is and why it's important. Gauges and tubes and coolant? Uh...Oh my?

I've pitted it against light poles, city garage cement poles, fence posts, other cars, and the occasional pedestrian. As reward for always coming out victorious, I've not had the dents, scratches, and body damage repaired - rather allowed the scars to proudly remain and the insurance money to be invested elsewhere.

And through it all, the car kept going (like the damned Energizer Bunny).


WARNING: This next bit should be ignored by anyone who isn't a complete and total nerd.

Like the Tardis, it's bigger on the inside and, in emergencies, can travel through time AND space.
Like the Invisible Jet, it has a special power of being unseen by radar guns and state troopers.
Like Noah's Ark, it's carried a wide range of various kinds of animals...in pairs.
Like Moya, it's a living car. We talk, we laugh, and we fight. Mostly, we fight. If you've ridden in the car with me at any point, ever, you know this.
Like Seattle Grace, it's a learning car.
Like Serenity, it's solid. A car like this, be with ya 'til the day you die...cause it's a death trap.
Like the Batmobile, with a baseball bat in the trunk, it's been used to fight crime.
Like the DeLorean, when it hits eighty-eight miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit.
And, like the Millennium Falcon, it's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy Dallas/Fort Worth area, held together with spit and special modifications. It may not look like much, but it's got it where it counts. Would it help if you got out and pushed? It might!

All in all, it's been a fluke of a car. I don't know why or how (and neither do most of the men I know, including the mechanics, of which there have been several) it's lasted as long as it has without crumbling into sad little pieces. And, now, as I solemnly shop around for new cars, I know no car will ever be as epic as the Focus of 2000.

I saw a trailer (here, if you like) for The Time Traveler's Wife and realized I never finished the book (for reasons I can't remember). I finally finished it today during a brief moment of calm in my own life.

From Amazon: "This clever and inventive tale works on three levels: as an intriguing science fiction concept, a realistic character study and a touching love story. Henry De Tamble is a Chicago librarian with "Chrono Displacement" disorder; at random times, he suddenly disappears without warning and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life. This leads to some wonderful paradoxes. From his point of view, he first met his wife, Clare, when he was 28 and she was 20. She ran up to him exclaiming that she'd known him all her life. He, however, had never seen her before. But when he reaches his 40s, already married to Clare, he suddenly finds himself time traveling to Clare's childhood and meeting her as a 6-year-old. The book alternates between Henry and Clare's points of view, and so does the narration."

I fell into (and back into) the story very easily. It says more about me, I think, than the book that I was able to set it down and not pick it back up for so long. It's a very interesting and captivating (easy to read) story. It's more a love story than a time travel story, and there are a few head scratching places but passages like the one below, allow you to easily forgive unanswered questions.

"Clare, I want to tell you, again, I love you. Our love has been the thread through the labyrinth, the net under the high-wire walker, the only real thing in this strange life of mine that I could ever trust. Tonight I feel that my love for you has more density in this world than I do, myself: as though it could linger on after me and surround you, keep you, hold you."

I really really hope they don't screw up the movie.

For the first time in a long time, there are too many movies out to see in one weekend (and most of them playing only at the Angelika, way across town).

EASY VIRTUE: I'm not a Jessica Biel fan but my love for Colin Firth and Ben Barnes wins. So it's on the list.

AWAY WE GO: Two words - Allison. Janney.

CHERI: Love love love Michelle Pfieffer.

THE HURT LOCKER: I skipped this at AFI to play Apples to Apples with friends. I don't regret that decision, but I still want to see the movie. :)

MY SISTER'S KEEPER: I'll go watch this with a box of tissues in tow. The trailer made me cry...it's is going to be messy, I won't lie.

And, finally, SULLVEILLANCE: Has anyone heard about this? It's not playing in Texas yet, but I'd like to see it. Looks very interesting.

Let me start by saying, I am not a vampire person and don't understand the fascination. I've read Dracula because it's classic and I Am Legend because it's so much better than the movie. I've seen Buffy and Angel and other vampire-y shows (currently True Blood, which is just ridiculous) but, while some are fun, none have really changed my mind. And the idea of a relationship with a demon is just icky (and another reason to just say no to Twilight). It seems to strike me as glorified necrophilia.

But I like to think I keep an open mind. Heh.

Thus far, I Am Legend (THE BOOK, not movie) has been the closest to a favorite as I'll get...simply because vampires are portrayed as beings of evil - no real love story there.

So when I say I enjoyed The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, you know I mean it. It could be read, as darkravenette says, somewhat as a prequel to I Am Legend. But the key for me was that it acknowledges the dark fog that surrounds the myth. It's SCARY. At no point in the book do you want to be a vampire or find the vampires in any way cool or trendy. And there are no baseball games.

----
Setrakian said, "Think more along the lines of a man with a black cape. Fangs. Funny accent." He turned his so that Gus could hear him better. "Now take away the cape and fangs. The funny accent. Take away anything funny about it."
----

The book took me a little longer to get through than I would have liked, I think because it jumps around quite a bit through the various characters. It does, however, tie up nicely at the end - so it's worth the trek.

All that said, I'll read the next two books and probably go see the movie (because you know that's going to happen). Guillermo Del Toro tells a story that not only makes you imagine things with a childlike mind but, at the same time, scares you into sleeping with the lights on...in subtitles.

Next up: Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher

I'm 115 pages into The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan (Del Toro's first in a vampire trilogy - TWILIGHT CAN SUCK IT, this is how a vampire story is told - NO sparkling) and it is damn creepy. I've had to stop a few times just to get my head out of the story. Holy cow, it's good but I'm not one that needs to be talked into anything with Del Toro's name attached. I do recommend you start reading it soonish and listen to Violin Features on Pandora while doing so.

Anyway, the reason for the post - I had a bit of an epiphany while reading. I tend to cast books when I read (I think this normal...I hope this normal) - actors for characters so I can see faces. Sometimes actors, sometimes people I know but every time a book has a central male lead, in my head, he's always Harrison Ford. No matter how much I try for him not to be.

My mind is a strange place.

I read Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking yesterday. At work. The whole thing. But don't get impressed or anything, it's an easy read with lots of pictures. I still managed to get a handful of actors to Oklahoma for auditions this morning, more to a callback yesterday (fingers crossed they book it), and answer the phones, the emails, and the stupid questions. I think I may have actually worked harder because I was cheating with a book open in front of my laptop.

Anywho, thoroughly enjoyed the book. You really have to be on your toes to read it though because she'll throw jokes at you when you're not looking, and if you're not careful, you'll miss it. And then you'll know, somewhere, she's laughing at you for it.

Things I didn't know about Carrie Fisher:
a) The whole Debbie Reynolds/Eddie Fisher/Elizabeth Taylor thing and how it relates to Jennifer Aniston/Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie. Though, my mother did.
b) She was married to Paul Simon. PAUL SIMON.
c) She's been through electroshock therapy.
d) She is AWESOME (in a sarcastic, tragic way). And I'm trying to figure out why it took me so long to realize this.

Obviously, there are quite a few other things I don't know about her but trust me, what she writes in the book (and I'm going to go ahead and assume her other books as well) is more than enough to keep your jaw hanging open. But what I enjoyed most, I think, was how apparent it is that she deeply loves her mother, brother, and daughter. It's really kinda cool.

Oh, and here is another "Jesse kicks herself in the butt" moment. There's a chapter where (duh) she's talking Star Wars (which can really just be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ97s396kb0). And there's a photo of Leia pointing a space gun thing at the camera. You can ask Molly (co-worker), I saw the photo and a memory was triggered. "OH MOTHERF-!"

I MET THE WOMAN. And got her autograph without realizing what a crazy cool person I was standing in front of. *HEADDESK*


(Pulled this out of a box last night in my closet. Geez.)

It's probably for the best though, because I tend to be pretty silent around celebrities (ones I like anyway which is NOT fair). BUT STILL. GAWD. Maybe she'll come back to Texas someday (I'd really like an autograph on this book). Or I'll get out of Texas someday (you never know).

I just found Carrie Fisher's BLOG. She is scary funny and I will now be reading (ALL of) her books. And I won't lie, I hope she discovers Twitter soon.

Why are you looking at me like that? You knew I was geek (well, had geek tendencies anyway). Plus, Tina Fey made Star Wars cool again, right? RIGHT?

Also, this weekend I went with Brittany and Justice (and Justice's Aunt on Daddy's side) to see UP! in 3D. It wasn't really made for 3D but was still fun. So many moments (and Star Wars references) made me laugh out right while Justice looked on with confusion. But be warned, YOU WILL CRY LIKE A LITTLE LITTLE BABY. A friend described it as "the most dramatic cartoon EVER". In a good way.

That's it for now, I'm back to work - but remind me to post Dustin's photos from graduation. Can't believe he's a college boy now! OY.