Obsession Wednesday

Reading: Wicked, by Gregory Maquire. It's the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. It's fascinating, once you get past the strange language. It can get a little long in parts, but you're too afraid that if you skip a passage, you'll miss something important. It reminds me of watching Buffy--little things can mean a lot later on down the road. I've become so obsessed with the story that I had to purchase the sequel, Son of the Witch, plus I have acquired the Broadway musical soundtrack, as well as the book that goes along with the musical. If that's not obsession, I don't know what is!

Watching: Nothing. There is nothing on television right now that I have to watch. The writer's strike is driving me mad. The last Ugly Betty aired this past Thursday, and there hasn't been a new Heroes since December. how will I ever find out if Nathan Petrelli survived? Yeah, I know it's American Idol season. But I'm just not as into it. Maybe Season 6 has jaded me, but I'm finding these auditions just as boring as last season, if more humane. Maybe it's that I'm really enjoying the time Cathryn and I spend together at bedtime. I love reading her stories and talking about the day with her.

Doing: Reworking this blog! I really want it to reflect the real Josie. I'm still working on it, and I'm afraid that I'm still missing some links. If you see that the blog is missing something, tell me in the comments.

Disappointment rears its ugly head.

I really should have seen it coming. I mean, it was going too well, and I was just way too excited about the spring musical.

One of my girls told me that she didn't want a speaking part, and she didn't want to sing a solo, either. And neither did her brother. It broke my heart, because I was so sure she wanted to be a part of it. She seemed so excited at rehearsal on Wednesday, and she was always one I could count on to sing and participate during Christmas play rehearsals. Her brother, well, I halfway expected it, because typically, boys just aren't that interested in plays. I don't know what happened. Did someone say something to her at school, making fun of her for being in a church play? I wish kids knew--the way adults know--that kids say cruel things because they're jealous or insecure.

I was really despondent throughout the entire Sunday night service, blaming myself for getting too excited about the play, thinking maybe I assigned roles too early, accusing myself of choosing a play that was too difficult for the kids to learn.

But as soon as service was over, two little rays of sunshine peeked through. Another of my students wanted to talk to me about her part, and I had the opportunity to tell her why she had gotten such a big part. Once I was able to talk to her about her part, we both felt better, and at least she was back on track. But then, my boy student that had wanted to quit earlier rushed up to me and informed me that he needed another script, because he had lost his. I talked to him, and he confirmed to me twice that yes, he really did want his part. So it turns out that I only have a little bit of shuffling to do.

I keep learning, play by play, and week by week. I'm thinking of holding auditions for the Christmas play, a few weeks after they've had a chance to listen to it. That way, the kids that really want parts will get them.

In other news, no headaches. Plus, it's almost a relief to have the writer's strike still on, because I would be watching way too much television if Heroes, Ugly Betty, and The Office were still on, especially now that Project Runway is in full swing, and American Idol will be premiering in two days. One thing I've learned--there is such a thing as too much television.

Ugly Betty: October 18, 2007

Fine. Let's talk about Ugly Betty. If you insist.

I just found the entire episode to be chock-full of character assassination. Maybe Wilhelmina spiked their drinks? Because no one was acting like themselves.

Come on, Betty plagiarized a paper for her Creative Writing class? Dude, she shows up to work at a fashion magazine everyday dressed like my grandma circa 1985. Is she really going to care if a class full of struggling writers like herself is going to laugh at her story about not going to her prom? Trust me, none of them went to their proms, either.

Then, the writers try to pass off on us that Justin has decided to grieve his dead father by becoming him. Leather jacket, failing algebra, kissing girls. I understand wanting to connect to your dad by picking up some of the things he loved, like basketball, but come on, it's hard to fight nature. What's worse, Hilda, concerned peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwich-making mother that she is, does NOTHING to try to talk to her son about this showing out in grief. Denial not just a river in Egypt, people!

We also find out that Wilhelmina used to be Fey Sommer's assistant and was called Wanda, and Wanda was no Miss America. Amanda tries to use this information on Wilhelmina to get the lowdown on her Daddy, and Wilhelmina totally complies, to keep "Wanda" out of the picture once and for all.

Wilhelmina nice? Amanda using intelligence? What's happening to my show? This is the Halloween episode, right? Where we're really in Bizarro World?

Finally, let's talk about Henry, who is REALLY beginning to frustrate me. Actually this whole Henry/Betty dynamic is beginning to bug me. OK, so let's start from the beginning with him. He likes Betty. He tries to date Betty, but she's dating Walter. Betty breaks up with Walter, but then Henry's ex, Charley, comes back to town. Henry breaks up with Charley, only for Charley to tell Betty that she's pregnant with Henry's child. Betty tells Henry, and they break up even though they were never really together, and then Betty finds out that Charley's been catting around on Henry, and the baby might not be his at all! So Henry comes back to Manhattan, because he CAN'T FIND A JOB IN TUCSON, ARIZONA. (Come on! Am I really supposed to believe that an accountant can't find a job in Tucson?), and Christina (Betty's seamstress friend) tells Henry about Charley's exploits. At this point, Henry orders a paternity test and he and Betty decide to put their relationship on hold until they get the results back. Guess what? Turns out Henry is the baby's daddy, and now he and Betty really can't be together.

WHY DID YOU WASTE MY TIME, UGLY BETTY WRITERS??? Why complicate things further, if you weren't going to put them together in the first place. This whole things smacks of Ross and Rachel, and I am beyond over it. Now, that is not to say that I am over the show. In no way. But I am over Henry and Betty. Bring The Sandwich Guy back. At least he challenged Betty to think for herself again.

I hope they fired those writers who wrote last week's episode, or at least put them back to serving coffee to the writers who actually know how to advance the plot in a convincing way.

October 8-12 TV Wrapup

This will be my last TV Wrap-up post. Instead, I'll be posting the recaps the morning after the show airs.

Heroes: Gah! Peter didn't open the box, but he did get a kiss. Also, he continues to be all emo about his powers, instead of saying, "Awesome! I'm like a superhero and stuff!" If I found out I suddenly had superpowers, I wouldn't walk anywhere, or use doors. I'd fly everwhere, and just walk through walls and stuff. I'd freeze time and rearrange the customers that annoyed me in funny ways. Maybe I wouldn't be the most responsible superhuman on the planet, but at least I wouldn't be all mopey. I'd have some fun. If he's going to continue to act this way, I'm promoting him from Captain Emo to Major Emo, which sounds very fitting, don't you think? In other quasi-Petrelli kissage news, Claire tries to cover that she did, in fact cut off her own toe to see if it would grow back. I mean, it did and all, but ewwww. West, the smart cookie stalker that he is, convinces her that it's OK to be different by swooping her up in his arms and flying off IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. Maybe not such a smart cookie after all. Ooh! And it was Claire's beloved Daddy who tagged West! That's sure to come up at dinner sometime. Let's see...what else? Oh yes, Parkman and Mohinder are still whiny and boring about how they have the most important job in the world, protecting Molly and bringing down The Company. I think they've both enlisted in Peter's Emo Army. Maya finally stops acting mopey about her powers, and uses them to get her brother out of jail. Niki and Micah didn't get near enough screentime, although we are told that DL is dead (NOOOO!!!!), Micah is going to live with his supercreepy grandma, and Niki is going to get help from The Company...for a price. In other news? Sylar is being kept alive by Candice and some other unnamed source, but Sylar tried to heal himself by killing Candice and trying to absorb her power. Ha, ha--it doesn't work, and now you're stranded in the jungle somewhere. Serves you right!

Dancing With The Stars: I totally missed it. Sorry. But I heard that Wayne Newton is history. Woo!

Ugly Betty: For me, this seemed like a really packed episode, and this a show that really packs a lot into each episode, so I'm going to try to condense it. To continue from last week, Henry found out that Charley is definitely with child, but it may or may not be his. There's going to be a paternity test. In TWELVE WEEKS? No way, because Amanda has totally gotten hers back already in like two weeks, and discovers that she is NOT her boss's daughter, much to her relief. Mark devises a plan for Amanda to cash in on her could-be fame as Faye Sommers' illegitimate daughter at Mode's annual Black-and-White Ball. The ball is normally hosted each year by Claire Meade, but she's hiding out in the Hamptons. However, when she finds out that Wilhelmina and Bradford have postponed the wedding, she plans to attend anyway. Wilhelmina, in her ongoing attempt to scheme her way to the top of Meade Publications, is now scheming to un-postpone the wedding, by getting Alexis to believe that they were best friends before the horrible accident. It involves a hilariously photoshopped photo album. Justin, who is trying to become more like his father, picks up a basketball and asks wheelchair-bound Daniel to teach him how to play. Poor Justin, he plays basketball just the way I did when I was his age--screaming and covering his head when the ball comes his way--and it's so frustrating to Daniel that he JUMPS out of his wheelchair, and totally blows his cover that he's faking it just so he can get to know the physical therapist better. Oh, and Betty totally gets the sandwich guy fired, but it's OK with him, and he drives her to New Jersey to pick up a special wheelchair for Daniel to use at the Black-and-White Ball. Also, Gio the Sandwich Guy might be Betty's new love interest because he challenged her to start writing again. NO!

Grey's Anatomy: I have to confess, y'all. I've officially broken up with this show. It's stopped being fun and it's taking itself way too seriously. It competes with The Office, and I really don't need another show in my life that makes me think Deep Thoughts. I have enough of those on my own, without the help of a television show. So, goodbye Grey's Anatomy. You were seriously fun for two and a half seasons.

Toodles!

October 1-5 TV Wrapup

Instead of recapping each show at length, I've decided to do one post a week covering all the shows I (we?) watch. To "borrow" a term from Television Without Pity, we'll call them "weecaps".

Heroes: Mohinder gets sent on a mission to cure a man in Port-Au-Prince (I wanna catch a glimpse.... sorry, I can't say names of islands without singing "Kokomo".) who turns out to be The Haitian! Also, I'm super glad that Mohinder is not anemic, because if his blood is the only cure for this virus, well, he's in trouble. And don't think for a minute that Sylar won't slice him up if he happens to catch that virus! Parkman meets Ando at the crime scene, but there's only one body! Later, he pulls in Ma Petrelli for questioning, where she tells Parkman to get out of her head and gets herself all cut up by some unseen force. In other Petrelli news, Peter finds some clothes, some powers, and his name. My guess? There's nothing in that box. IT's just a ruse to get Peter to go along with the robbery. Maya and Alejandro are still on the run, and I still can't tell what Maya's power is, other than bleeding from her eyes. How that's a power, I don't know. Hiro sets out to set history right by becoming Kinsei himself, and Claire sets out to set herself apart, discovering that she can regrow limbs (can you really count a pinkie toe as a limb?) and that West might, just might, be a stalker. Or at least crazy. And finally? The Haitian meets up with his old friend, Noah (Bennett) Butler. And Mr. Muggles is missing his life as a show dog. Poor Mr. Muggles.

Dancing With The Stars: Jennie Garth falls, Wayne Newton fails, and Albert Reed dedicates his dance to his grandfather. Any guesses for who got escorted off the dance floor? If you said the passable performance by an unknown model, you're right!

Top Chef: Well, Casey fell apart didn't she? I can't say I'm not disappointed that Hung won, because I was really hoping for a Casey or Dale win. However, I will say that Hung's final meal did look outstanding, and I would have tried everything on that table he served. What I really, really wanted to try, though, was Dale's Colorado lamb. Dude, that plate looked awesome! I really have to say that out of the last three seasons, Season Three has really been my favorite. Not only were all the cooks incredibly talented, but they also seemed to really admire and get along with one another. Sure, there were a few hurt feelings over the course of the season, but why wouldn't there when there are so many chefs in one kitchen?

Ugly Betty: Miraculously, Hilda is out of bed and presumably getting on with her life, making Justin peanut butter sandwiches and going through Santos' things. All of which are hideously tacky, and Hilda loves each and every piece. Justin begins his internship at Mode, putting all the adult interns to shame. Betty is stupid, telling Henry that she and he could be "buddies" instead of telling him the TRUTH, which is that Charlie cheated on him, and that she's pregnant with another's man child! But, leave it to awesome Irish Christina the seamstress to set poor Henry straight, who goes right out and gets drunk on a wine cooler. Man, this show is so great. In other news, Wilhelmina is still trying to run Mode, so she blackmails Betty by telling her that she'll make sure that her father the senator pushes Betty's dad's Visa to the top of the stack IF she doesn't go to Daniel about the changes. But Wili gets her comeuppance, with Bradford wanting to postpone the wedding until he feels that Alexis/Alex (who now loves the fact that he's a woman!) is ready to hear that they are getting married. Shew! A lot sure happens in one hour! Oh! I forgot! Amanda inherit's her dead birth mother's dog, Halston, who happens to be the ugliest and sickliest dog on the planet. Ok, I promise that nothing else happened.

The Office: Well, it's out in Dunder-Mifflin--Jim and Pam are together, and mostly everyone is pretty psyched about it, with the exception of Toby (who has a crush on Pam), and Phyllis (who has quite a bristly interior underneath that calm, quiet exterior). Dwight tried to replace Angela's cat Sprinkles, which led to her breaking up with him. I actually felt sorry for Dwight for the first time in a long time. Ryan comes by to train the Scranton branch (and treat Kelly badly, and hit on Pam) with a new way of doing business, which scared the older members of the office, especially Micheal, who set out to prove that old-fashioned gift baskets can accomplish more than the new Dunder-Mifflin website. Boy was he wrong! All the former clients were only interested in the new website. I was all "Go Team Technology!" until Michael listened to literally to his car's GPS and landed in a lake. I will be so happy when this show goes back to it's original 30 minutes. One hour is just too long.


Toodles!

Fall TV, 2007 Edition

With all that's been going on lately, I forgot to tell y'all what I was watching this season! Let's break it down by day, shall we?

Sunday: Let me tell you about my schedule on Sundays. Church, lunch, Praise Team practice, Church. You tell me where there's time to breathe, much less watch television. Still, getting up on that stage is completely worth it.

Monday: My least favorite of work days, my most favorite of television days. Yes, friends, this is the night of Heroes. Last week's episode left us with lots of questions, like "Why are Parkman and Mohinder sharing an apartment? Don't they, like hate one another?" and "Could Noah Bennett--excuse me, Butler--be more awesome?" It really takes something to take a man down by the pinkie finger. There's also the burning questions of "Why is Nathan Petrelli growing out that gross beard?" and the all-important "What happened to Peter's great hair?" Richie says that he likes the hair this way, but it's going to take me a while to get used to this new look.

Also on Mondays (and Tuesdays and Wednesdays), before Heroes, is Dancing With The Stars. I know, I know! I said it was too cheesy, even for me, and that's really saying something. But let me tell you what happened, OK? I was putting Cathryn to bed, and when I walked down the hall after she had fallen asleep, well, I caught Richie watching it. It's like a trainwreck, honestly--I sat down on the couch and my morbid curiosity would not allow me to avert my eyes. You watch Wayne Newton try to dance, or Marie Osmond attempt to recapture her youth by being cute to the judges, and see if you can tear your eyes from the screen. Besides, what else are Richie and I going to watch while waiting to see if Hiro Nakamura will ever get Tanaka Kinsei to change from rakish layabout to actual Japanese hero?

Tuesday: Dancing With The Stars, baby. Dancing With The Stars. Hmm... I hope it's off before American Idol kicks off, because we all know where my loyalties lie.

Wednesday: Dancing With The Stars results show. At ten, though, Richie totally had me hooked on Top Chef. I can't cook a lick, but those guys and girls sure make me want to try! This Wednesday is the finale, and I'm really hoping for a woman to win this season. Go Team Casey!

On November 14, Project Runway returns, and I'm pretty close to counting the days. The contestants on Top Chef can be pretty cruel to one another, but you haven't seen anything until you see the hair pulling and eye scratching by a bunch of self-righteous fashionistas. And those are just the judges.

Thursday: Ah, Thursday. You make my week so complicated. Ugly Betty at 8--when I'm putting Cathryn to bed. Grey's Anatomy AND The Office at nine. How am I to choose? I chose The Office-- because I can download episodes of Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy from the ABC website. The only conflict I don't have is at ten, when I watch Tim Gunn's Guide To Style. Let's recap, shall we?

Ugly Betty: Hilda's fiance Santos is dead. The plot with them being in her room together? Totally Hilda's imagination. It's like Dallas, but in reverse. Man, I miss Dallas. That was a great show. No one was evil the way JR was evil. No, not even Sylar, because JR didn't have to eat your brains to make your life miserable. Oh, anyway--Daniel has finally kicked his drug habit (we hope!), but Betty hasn't kicked her Henry habit. Wilhelmina and Claire have a total Dynasty moment, with Wilhelmina calling Claire a "gin-soaked hag" (I totally want to incorporate that into my everyday life!), and Claire taking a swig of liquor and decking Wilhelmina across the face. Yes! Her botoxed-injected face! Classy Claire, you gin-soaked hag! In other Ugly Betty news? Alexis has amnesia and forgot that she had an operation that changed her from an Alex to an Alexis. Maybe I should reconsider that while Dallas diatribe I went on earlier.

I haven't seen last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy. I know, my bad. But I only have so many hours, people!

I did watch The Office, and boy was I not disappointed. Michael hits Meredith with his car, and then organizes a "fun run" because they found out she might have rabies. Oh, and there was something about Jim and Pam finally being a couple. FINALLY!

Friday and Saturday: I take those nights off, usually because I'm at Pirateland, or going to Hartsville to visit Trey, or spending time with Richie and Cathryn. Maybe I can work some time in there to see my mother.

Toodles!

Fall television

OK, y'all....now that the new television season is under way, let me tell you all what I am watching.

What I am loving:
Heroes (Mondays @ 9, NBC)--It reminds me of why I loved Buffy and X-Men. If you missed out on the Buffy heyday, or if you just miss Buffy, please check this out. It even has a blonde cheerleader.

Project Runway (Wednesdays @ 10, Bravo)--Yes, I still have this on here, even though there are only two episodes left. But--that's how I got into it. During a marathon, I saw the last couple of shows and was enthralled. Sure my love for fashion has been well documented, but it's really the drama and the comedy of these talented people that keeps me coming back. And of course, if you have witnessed the unparalleled Tim Gunn, please check this out. He's fabulous.

The Office (Thursdays @ 8:30, NBC)--I loved the second season all summer, so I could hardly wait to get into the third season live. It's a hard show to explain, other than it's written to be like a reality show--only it's much much bettter. And funnier. Also? The guy that plays Jim is my TV boyfriend. (Just don't tell Chris Daughtry, OK?)

Grey's Anatomy (Thursdays @ 9, ABC)--My mom recently said that Grey's Anatomy is to our generation what Dallas was to hers. I really don't think I need to herald my love for the show here, since we already have so many fans. But if you haven't seen it--SHAME!!! Also, every guy on there is steaming hot. (OK, maybe not George. But he's like the little brother you always wanted. And maybe not the Chief, unless you're into that Daddy-complex thing. I am not.)

What I am wishing would get better:

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Mondays @ 10, NBC)--*sigh* I had such high hopes. I am really hoping that it gets better. From the getgo, I cared about the characters on The West Wing. Studio 60? Eh, not so much. The bright spots in the show are Matthew Perry (who has lost all traces of Chandler Bing, and for me, a HUGE Chandler Bing fan to say that, is HUGE.) and of course, Mr. Bradley Whitford, who makes me go "guuuuh" for reasons that I cannot explain. Although, watching him makes me REALLY miss The West Wing. Make me care, Aaron Sorkin! Make me care!

What I am wishing I could see but I have to put Cathryn to bed:

Ugly Betty (Thursdays @ 8, ABC)--I have heard so many good things about this, plus y'all know how much I love fashion magazines. And Television Without Pity totally loves this show. And they don't like a lot of shows. I did hear that they were going to rerun them on ABC Family, so I've got to go Google that and make sure it's for real.

What are y'all watching?

Josie