Top 5 Thoughts of the Day: Resolution Edition
1. I would say read a little bit each day, but that was a resolution a while ago and just didn’t happen (I would be too tired at the end of the day, or I would rationalize that reading an online article counted, but we all knew that I explicitly meant read a part of a book/novel/memoir/something that wasn’t required for school). So, keeping these shortcomings in consideration, my new resolution is: read for fun (a book as stipulated previously) each week
2. Each year, I hope for a boyfriend (not so much a resolution, more of a wish). Now that I have one, my new resolution is: treasure the friendships and relationships I have and make a better effort to keep in touch
3. Cut out all red meat (no exceptions, my last meal is In-N-Out on January 7th)
4. As cliche as this sounds don’t dwell on the past. Things have changed, people are different, but the present and the future hold amazing and exciting things
5. I’ve been trying really hard to stop judging others and be a more positive person. But overwhelming positivity isn’t always the answer. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that pretending everything is good isn’t a healthy way to view life. Therefore, I’m tweaking this resolution to become: always start by being nice, because starting out mean will never lead to good things
2011 brought
- A new job (at the Earthquake Center) and some pretty cool geology field trips
- My first summer in Los Angeles
- Three completely different living situations (five people in a two bedroom apartment, just me in a one bedroom apartment, and two of us in the same one bedroom apartment)
- Regal Rita #12 and the most amazing roommate a girl can ask for
- The Best Music Industry Internship (and tons of free concerts)
- Awesome new friends and more campus involvement in the form of Concerts Committee
- An amazing boyfriend
and for all of these amazing things (and even the not so amazing things) I will be forever grateful
Semester in Review
5/13/11
I am officially done with my sophomore year of college. I am officially halfway done with college. I am officially scared out of my mind (the real world?!)
I feel uninvolved with USC, unenthralled with my major, and not ready for the future. There are many things that I hoped would happen by now that haven’t (boyfriend, internship, more close friends, etc). But there are also many things that I didn’t expect to happen that did. Sometimes good, sometimes terrible; all in all, it’s been an exciting two years.
I always say I’m looking for a boyfriend. Someone who will always be my date to invite, will want to hang out and watch TV with me on the weekend, will always be up for an adventure. It upsets me that this is so important to me, seeing how much of a progressive woman I pretend to be… but it’s something that I’ll always be on the look out for.
I always wait around for something to happen to me, but that’s not going to get me anywhere. The problem is that I don’t know how to start the search, how to meet new people and create meaningful friendships/relationships with people unless the universe intervenes just a little. It’s not like I’m meeting anyone though my classes or the earthquake center. And it seems too late to get involved on campus. WHAT DO I DO?!
I am unbelievably excited for the summer, and being at home for a little while and then spending my time traipsing around Los Angeles and doing exciting things with my friends who are also staying in LA. I hope that it lives up to my expectations and surprises me in great ways. I also hope that Regal Rita #12 becomes the next Troy 209.
12/21/11
I recently went through my journal and read some old entries, including the one above. What struck me about this sophomore year wrap-up is that a lot of the slumpiness of sophomore year has been completely changed amidst my junior jolt. I’ve become more involved (concerts committee), made awesome new friends (through concerts committee, but I’ve also become closer to other friends that weren’t in my “core” friend group before), met an awesome guy, and found some awesome internships to get myself into the music industry.
It all speaks to the power of the universe. Beginning with my amazing Goldenvoice internship, I met the director of Concerts Committee. She encouraged me to apply, and I joined E-board. Because of that, I’ve met amazing people that have become my friends, this concerts family, and I’ve had so many awesome experiences because of it (concerts bonding, late night pho, taking a limo around Los Angeles and getting in-n-out).
The universe also showed me that someone I had completely friend-zoned is actually perfect for me. He texts me nice things, takes care of me, compliments me all the time, and is always down to watch TV and snuggle. He is the guy I’ve been waiting for, and if the universe hadn’t thrown us together multiple times, I never would have realized how wonderful he is.
At first, i was extremely disappointed with the new comedies this season. But then we hit a turning point. New Girl maintained its quirk but became smarter. Up All Night moved away from the “been there, done that” take on new parenthood. and I discovered Suburgatory. It’s filling the hole that the red haired heroine of Awkward left when the summer season that MTV thrives on ended. This time, a different red head is the outcast. And the suburbs never looked so…realistic. Coming from a suburb of DC, and knowing people who lived in planned communities with neighborhood associations that required all houses to have the same mailbox and banned lawn ornaments without prior approval, I’ve never seen such a pitch perfect representation of a wealthy suburb. Cheryl Hines can do no wrong as Dallas and Jeremy Sisto will always be perfect as the FILF. I’m ecstatic that Allie Grant is back as a tortured suburban girl (see: Weeds) and can’t WAIT to see Mohr of Jay (GET IT?!). But last, and certainly not least, Jane Levy is brilliant as the city girl stuck in the suburbs. Brilliant enough to inspire a marathon of all 6 episodes on one bleak Sunday morning.
GOOD MORNING USC!
It’s the first day of school here in sunny Los Angeles. The weather is perfect (as always), the sorority girls are wearing their rush shirts (as always), and the student body is scurrying along trying to beat the clock and make it to class on time (not as always). Give it another week and watch walking speeds slow down to a paltry stroll as students learn which professors take attendance at the very beginning of class (not many).
My school year resolutions:
- Pay attention in class
- Hand write notes (unless the teacher is a speed demon with powerpoint)
- Keep freak outs to a minimum
- Don’t take life too seriously (most of the time problems really aren’t a big issue)
- Let the procrastination trend die
- Enjoy college, apparently I’m a junior already…
Ladies and Gentlemen: if you’re starting school today, have a fabulous first day. If you’ve still got a few weeks (or a month, as those quarter system people do), my envy knows no bounds. Rock out for the rest of the summer for me!
JUNIOR JOLT, here I come
My Encounters with the Crazies of California
Location: Boo Boo Records, San Luis Obispo
Setting: Looking at the bargain CDs. There are five racks. I’m looking at the third rack from the left (the $2 CDs). She’s looking at the first rack (the $1 CDs). I move to the second rack (transitioning to the $1 CDs).
Incident: She says to me, “Go back to your side. Don’t come near me”
My Internal Reaction: “EXCUSE ME. this isn’t your record store. I have every right to look at the $1 CDs. You have no right to deprive me of Shaggy’s EP!”
My External Reaction: “ok…” and I moved back to “my side”
Location: The 20 bus, Los Angeles (close to Alvarado & Wilshire)
Setting: I’m sitting in the back half of the bus, reading Beneath the Underdog by Charles Mingus facing forward. He’s sitting behind me but in the seats facing my side of the bus.
Incident: He says to me, “Why are you on the bus rich girl?! You probably have a Mercedes parked at home. You don’t belong on the bus” and he continues to yell at every person that he can see
My Internal Reaction: “EXCUSE ME. I have every right to be on this bus. I don’t have a car parked at home, let alone a Mercedes.
My External Reaction: I continued reading. Pretending I didn’t hear what he said
Location: The 20 bus, Los Angeles (close to Wilshire & Norton)
Setting: I’m sitting near the back of the bus. She’s sitting in the row in front of me.
Incident: She says to the ground, “I don’t want that shit on my feet. Stop that!” 10 minutes later, she says (to no one in particular), “This is why you don’t have any friends! You say this filth! You should go to church and wash your mouth out with holy water! Leave me alone! Why do you follow me everywhere?!”
My Internal Reaction: “This woman should not be allowed in public”
My External Reaction: exchanging confused faces with everyone sitting around her
Conclusion: the crazies are crazy, but harmless
Sam Anders, the original frat star
A good concert is one that isn’t just entertaining, but awe inspiring. It leaves every person in the room scraping his or her jaw off the ground.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band at the El Rey Theatre last night did just that. The magnitude of talent on that stage is still difficult to wrap my head around. These musicians came together and jammed the night away, giving one of the best performances I’ve seen to date. Anyone can perform songs, but these guys inhabited the music. Everyone had the opportunity to prove their musical chops and no one disappointed.
Beside all of Trucks’ solos, my favorite moment from the concert was the dueling drumers (Tyler Greenwell and JJ Johnson). It wasn’t so much dueling as a melding of solos to create this insane drum beat that is unimaginable to any lone drummer. The sequence transitioned from a back and forth exchange to an amalgamation of the two drummers’ talents. Needless to say, it made me want to try the drums one more time while also discouraging me from ever attempting again (because I will never get to their level).
This video is the band performing Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight” (not a recording from last night, but an equally magical rendering). Susan Tedeschi reminds me a bit of Tami Taylor from Friday Night Lights, the epitome of Southern cool (and it doesn’t hurt that they wear similar outfits). Derek Trucks is just as stoic as ever, proving that to be a good musician (and by proxy, performer), you don’t have to inhabit a ridiculous persona for the crowd. Just being his prodigal self is perfect. To quote one of the more eccentric audience members as he heads to the bathroom “Derek Trucks fucking cooks. He’s fucking awesome.”
To say the least, these guys COOKED
I have come to the startling realization that there is only one episode of my beloved Friday Night Lights left. After spending 5 years with the people of Dillon, Texas, I have become attached to the characters that portray the raw emotion of everyday life in a small, football centered town.
Some people complain that the action is too slow and the show becomes boring, but I feel that the pace of the show contributes to the realism of it.
At it’s heart, this is a drama. It appeals to both sexes because it is a perfect mix of sports, action, drama, and raw emotion. The audience can count on a high energy game scene filled with suspense (will the Panthers/Lions win again? Or will their journey come to an end). We can also count on heart wrenching drama and life changing decisions in each episode. This show has everything that a person could want out of a primetime drama. Unfortunately for the loyal audience and critics everywhere, people didn’t catch on to this gem soon enough.
Having seen the movie on which the show is based on and read the book on which the movie is based on, I can tell you honestly that this is the best of the three. Sure, they are all slightly different, but the television show reels the audience in and makes you truly care about what will happen next.
Coach Taylor and his family are the center of the web of stories that becomes more complicated with each passing week. Connie Britton (formerly of Spin City) is BRILLIANT as the ever loyal coach’s wife and guidance counselor turned principle turned guidance counselor. My heart belongs to Matt Saracen, but I do have a soft spot for the smoldering Tim Riggins. Of the new cast, I am most concerned with Luke Cafferty and his blossoming relationship with Becky Sproles (which we will never get to see play out). Each character brings something different to the table and completes this elaborate tapestry of real life interactions.
I will always think of Friday Night Lights as these characters pictured above, wearing the blue uniforms of the Dillon Panthers. Despite casting changes and a relocation, I am still fully attached to the original cast of characters that gave the show it’s heart. I never fail to cry at each episode. This show feels like real life, these characters seem like real people. And therefore, I anticipate some heavy duty water works come the final episode.
And for this final episode, I dream that all of the original characters return to Dillon and watch the Lions (which has the heart of the old Panthers) win State. We’ll see what actually happens…
Debbie Harry is my idol. She’s this badass, punk rock chick who doesn’t take crap from anyone. Blondie’s music is an inspiration for anyone aspiring to succeed in the music industry. It’s catchy but shows a musical knowledge well beyond other ’80s icons. And Debbie Harry is at the center of this musical force, always showing her determination. When rap was first starting out, Debbie wasn’t afraid to step into the game and become one of the first women to release a rap record (sure, “Rapture” isn’t fabulous, but it sure shows that she has balls).
I love cheers. always have, always will.
Ted Danson is fabulous in the role of former baseball relief pitcher/drunk/reformed ladies man. Originally, the role was meant to be a former football player, but they adapted it to fit Danson’s body type, thank goodness. I am in love with Cheers era Ted Danson; he’s funny, lovable, and still pretty sassy (for lack of a better word) too. It still baffles me that he had an affair with Whoopi Goldberg (I’ve always seen her as asexual, I still don’t get it). As Sam, he inhabits the character with the swagger of a former Bostonian celebrity but with the humble charm of a former drunk who ended his baseball career with embarrassment. It’s not a stretch that he could get any girl he wants, and for that reason I do not understand why he settles for Diane.
I much prefer Rebecca to Diane, but who doesn’t. Diane, while funny with her arrogant quips was never a logical match for Sam, and that romance never quite made sense to me. They both struggle so much with the fact that they don’t inhabit the same world as each other. They pull apart, but are kept together by this sense of duty towards the relationship. It continues to make no sense.
The other transitional role is a whole different story. When Nicholas Colassanto died, his character of Ernie “Coach” Pantusso, died as well. The bumbling, but warm and loyal Coach definitely added a whole other layer to the cheers gang, a human being that is always genuinely kind and caring. He was replaced by the younger version of his space cadet self, sweet and naive Woody Boyd (played by Woody Harrelson). I am a huge fan of Woody Harrelson, he has been hilarious in every movie I’ve seen of his (I don’t even know if he’s played a role that hasn’t been funny, if he has I have no intention of seeing it)
Most recently, he plays the stereotypical frat boy gone gay in Will Gluck’s Friends With Benefits (hilarious, by the way. Well worth a watch, I prefer it to No Strings Attached). If anyone could pull of this contradictory character, it’s Woody Harrelson.
Back to the point of this story, Cheers is the place where everybody knows your name. It has a wealth of interesting characters ranging from the regulars to the one time drop ins. It’s hilarious but poignant at times with a solid range of emotions present in every episode. I cannot express just how much I love this show. It’s so easy it is to drop in at any point in the series and become immediately enraptured in the story because there is always an overarching story that is carried through by minor episodic interactions.
There’s a reason Cheers was on the air for as long as it was, and it still is played in re-runs quite frequently.
Summarized: Cheers is real life, gone hilarious (this can be applied to most of the television shows I love)
(via wiggleallaround)
