I'm back from our family trip to the Redwoods! It was GREAT - fun and interesting and warm and it was really nice to spend dedicated, non-stressful family time together for an extended period for the first time since I went back to work in 2009, basically. We rented an RV and had a blast, and I took over 1100 pictures, some of which I am sharing on my Tumblr (ajoblotofjunk - I spend a fair amount of time there these days, reblogging all kinds of random crap and posting all my photography over there now). But I also wanted to share my favorites here, too.

( And if you're interested, they're here!Collapse )

Except for Legend of Korra (two weeks behind!), we're all caught up on our summer TV. Of course that mostly consists of So You Think You Can Dance (VEGAS WEEK TONIGHT! \o/) and Eureka (I have LOVED the last two episodes so much! Jack and Allison! All of the Holly stuff! We even got some Jack and Henry scenes! Also, I thought this week's was interesting for ( cut for spoilers, sort ofCollapse )).

However I cannot stop thinking about The Persuaders! and even went through and re-read all of my episode liveblogs and flailed to myself just reading them and I really need more hours in my day because I still have UNWATCHED EPISODES and there are episodes I really want to re-watch and I want to vid it, and I've been reading the AV Club's interview with Michael Schur about Parks & Rec's last season, episode-by-episode, and it's FASCINATING but also making me want to rewatch THAT, plus I have LITERALLY the best Ron Swanson vidsong EVER IN THE WORLD and no DVDs or time for that EITHER. SO. DRAMA. Hee.

I felt like there was more I wanted to say, but my flailing has gotten the best of me. Hi! I hope y'all are well!

This entry was cross-posted at my Dreamwidth account. Please comment here or there. ( comments at DW)

I have answered all the outstanding comments in my Inbox except for the ones from the 2000th LJ post, which I will do someday because I really WANT to. I just have to get out of June/early July and then I will possibly even have TIME to. I have a few emails left to get to, but I am now sort of caught up on my online life. Woo! And I got another year of paid DW time! Double woo! (Though I didn't get to it before my account expired, so now I have to re-load all my icons. *cries and cries*)

So, because I keep seeing this meme all over my flist and I have loved reading it, I've decided to snag it, though it's not really going to be a "30 day" meme for me so much as a "30 answers in whatever timeframe I can do it" meme.

30 Day TV Meme

Day 01 – A show that should never have been canceled

Charlie Jade! This show was so awesome - even though I had to watch the pilot episode twice to understand what was happening. Heh. It was a very twisty, thoughtful show, with fascinatingly gray characters (especially Charlie himself and 01 Boxer), interesting world-building, some sketchy female endangerment stuff that was starting to get better in the last half of the season, a cool premise, a load of physics, and a hell of a finale. I really wish we could know where they were going to go, because they so clearly had a plan, and it was a plan that looked really neat. ALAS.

( Complete Meme ListCollapse )

AND a music version, via pfeifferpack!

Day 01- A song that makes me happy.

Just ONE?! This meme is going to be way harder than the TV one. Let's see, a song that has been working well to cheer me up lately (and that I've linked to before, but is worth doing so again!): Gigi - Guramayle (Box.net link) Very cheerful tune, though I admittedly do not know precisely what she is saying.

( Complete Meme ListCollapse )

Other things I would like to post about in the near-ish future: a discussion about life after death beliefs; scans from the Star Trek coloring book I was given at BP; China Beach (though I have to watch more first); how much I love Amy and the 11th Doctor based solely on my viewing 'Vincent and the Doctor'; Treme, once we watch the last SIX episodes *cough*; Justified and how much I LOVED the finale; and why Kent from Wapakeneta better watch the farmboy attitude before it becomes fake and he starts annoying me rather than making me love him.

We'll see which of those I actually get to. Heh.

This entry was cross-posted at my Dreamwidth account. Please comment here or there. ( comments at DW)

The Fanvid Love Meme is going strong! I need to get back in there and give some love - it's been great seeing everyone else get loved on. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments left to me, as well. Thank you, it means a lot and has helped me a lot with my festivids fear! (Seriously, I feel so rusty and out of vidding shape, I needed the support.) (Speaking of festivids - I do in fact have my song! \o/ I'm storyboarding some ideas right now and things are coming together. Clipping needs to happen and then I think there shall be vidding this weekend. Eeee!)

I am ashamed of how many vidder names I don't recognize at all, though; I am way out of the vidding loop these days! However, the best part about hosting a meme like this is now I have all the links to their websites saved and a list of the vids I should check out first based on what people come to praise. Hee.

I can't wait to see this documentary, Babies. It looks so cute, and actually pretty fascinating. I recommend at least the first 45 seconds of the trailer for an epic baby headdesk. Hee.

Well clearly I need THIS for LIFE. Oh, T-rex. You are my soulmate.

I have random So You Think You Can Dance thoughts! ( Including spoilers for last night's elminationCollapse )

I have two new Eastwick's to watch! Woo!

Why did it take me so long to subscribe to Paste Magazine?! That was foolish of me.

Okay flist, carry on with the vidder loving. Have a good day. :)

Guess whose baby slept SIX HOURS IN A ROW last night? *cue music*

HAAAALLELUJAH! HAAAAALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH HAL-LEH-LU-JAH!

I only slept five hours, since I woke up, looked at the time, and freaked out that he hadn't woken up yet. I swore I was not going to be That Person the first time he slept through the night, but we all know I was kidding myself. Anyway: six hours! And he's sleeping again now! Let's hope this continues. This is also my last day off with the Puplet during a work week, so we're going to go out and have some fun later. And my dear, wonderful, amazing friend N is coming up to Seattle this weekend and we're going to have hot cider and sit in front of the fire and probably go out for tea and play with Puplet and I am REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. *starts countdown*

festivids sign-ups ARE OPEN! Wooooooo! I have my offer list down pat, but I'm waffling hardcore on my request list. I've got five chosen for sure, which leaves me three slots, but I have five choices left that I really want to see made (and that was after cutting ten other highly treasured requests!). So the winnowing continues.

Thanks to festivids, I now know that they're planning to remake BOTH The NeverEnding Story and Romancing the Stone. I do not approve of EITHER of those decisions. Heh.

I also do not approve of the male dancer voted off of So You Think You Can Dance last night, but then ( spoileryCollapse )

However, this picture of David Cook is the cherry on the top of my ice cream morning, so I will deal with my feelings and move on. Hee.

I hope your day is happy and fulfilling, my flist!

I finally watched the previous two weeks' Eastwick episodes (still have not seen this week's yet, thanks to Hulu being dickish and removing the show from their site entirely). "Mooning and Crooning" had a much better percentage of Paul Gross being amazing and speaking German. Oh, PAUL. I loved Joan standing up to Darryl about the article.

And then last week's episode was amazing. Like, legitimately good kind of amazing. I would show it to people to try to pimp them into the show kind of amazing. ( SpoilersCollapse )

Other things I don't have enough hearts for: Castle. ( Spoilers for this week's episodeCollapse )

ION: Still not watching White Collar! Take THAT, my ENTIRE FRIGGING FRIENDSLIST. Hee. I'm happy to see so much uniting squee, but we just don't have time for another show right now! In a year or two I'll watch it and love it and you guys can all laugh at me for once again being late to a party you know I'd have a good time at. For now: moving on!

Besides, I am now fully immersing myself in David Cook fandom, which is proving to be pretty super awesome. I mean ( look at himCollapse )

Truly the amount of capslock involved in my emails to Brynn is really kind of ridiculous. But I can't HELP it. And I have listened to "Bar-ba-sol" multiple times a day every day since this whole thing started and it STILL IS AWESOME. So there's that.

There's also the fact that bitchinparty registration is THIS SATURDAY! YAAAAAAY. Here are the details! You should all come to our city and party with us! Hee. We had a great time at the last Bitchin' Party (aka Pacificon) and this time shall be just as fun, I suspect.

I am really enjoying So You Think You Can Dance this season. It's been one of their strongest seasons in awhile, IMO. But I have to roll my eyes at Nigel this week still trying to defend putting Russell in the bottom four last week. Whatever, Nigel. I think he's full of crap. I think he just wanted Russell in the bottom four to manufacture some drama. If Russell gets cut before the Top 10, I will take to the streets. ( Spoilers for this week's epCollapse )

Now a break to delineate Puplet talk!

**********

Puplet will be ten weeks old tomorrow. ( More about himCollapse )

Finally I'll end the Longest Post Ever with a couple of Puplet pictures.

( Under hereCollapse )

WHEW. Now how the hell do I choose an icon for this post?

midsummer2009 is open AND strangefandom posted their first roundup (for Dead Like Me, omg) today!

Vividcon starts a week from today! I am trying to stamp down my envy and just let the happiness for others bubble to the surface. Hee. I do have a question, though, because I honestly don't know: when can I post my Club Vivid vid? Can I do it right after CV starts or do I need to wait until CV ends? Inquiring minds would like to know!

We are 4 episodes into season 3 of Homicide: Life on the Street and I'm enjoying it more and more. I want to talk briefly about 3x04 ( becauseCollapse )

In semi-related news, I received a new iPod as a gift and have decided to name it Frank, after a certain homicide detective. I feel like this was a good choice. ♥

PEOPLE. Go to this link and zoom in on the book cover and then weep for humanity. (Link via sideofzen.)

I feel like Dance Justice was served with the So You Think You Can Dance results last night. Just as a general note, I hope Evan does not carry the trauma of being dogged season-long about his size/capabilities with him the rest of his life. Sigh. Bring on season 6! (Although I wish it weren't so soon, much as I love the magic of the dance.)

( Pupdate, with a few picturesCollapse )

Here's something surprising: I missed people's birthdays. *facepalm* Happy belated wishes to aurora_84 (my original partner in PB crime ♥ ♥ ♥), st_salieri, and andeincascade! I hope you had wonderful celebrations!

And because I just know there's no way I won't miss these, I'm going to be EARLY and wish lipsum and sherrold happy birthdays this weekend. :)

Oh and I guess there are these two other ladies having birthdays this weekend, too? *g* stoney321 - happiest birthday wishes, my dear. Your plans sound AWESOME and I hope you post pictures or video or something afterwards. :) And out_there, I know you've already started your celebrating, so I hope your weekend is fantastic, and thank you for the little bits and bobs of PB story you write, because they make me really happy. Hee.

AHH is bringing us home pulled pork BBQ sandwiches for lunch. I am already drooling in anticipation.

Happy Friday, my friends!

All right, Northwesters, report in! How are you guys hanging on? Everybody doing okay? I just poured cold glasses of water on both dogs and one of the cats. They all look pretty ridiculous now, but I feel better and I suspect they do too, under the mortification. I am a little concerned that the power just dipped, but I'm hoping it hangs on. Here's the latest screencap of the temp in my area, via Weather.com:

( That's some bullcrap, right thereCollapse )

Show me yours, my fellow area peeps! Come on Portland, I know y'all are usually even hotter, right? (Yes, we will stop talking about the weather up here, once we've all reconstituted our melted molecules into their solid states again. :P )

I don't know if this counts as a cooling thought, but it's an EXTREMELY CATCHY song that is also hilarious: Captain Kirk is climbing a mountain, why is he climbing a mountain?

Oh, Shatner.

In even more random news, this has been cracking me up all afternoon.

We finished season 1&2 of Homicide last night! It was excellent. There was also ( minor casting spoilerCollapse )

I know I should have thinky things to say about the show, but so far I can't seem to put them together. I'm really enjoying it, though, in large part because of the characters.

So You Think You Can Dance tonight! I can't believe the finale is already next week. This season went FAST. I really have no idea who will be in the Top 4. I think Evan may really have a chance; he seems to have a pretty huge fanbase. I think I'd like it to be Jeanine, Melissa, Evan, and Ade. I would be okay with Brandon swapped out for either guy (I KNOW, but as much as I ADORE Evan, I think Brandon is a better overall dancer, if I'm being honest with myself).

I missed birthdays! Happy belated wishes to elynross, scarlettgirl, and slidellra! Wow, that's an unfair amount of awesome ladies to be born within a couple of days of each other. :) I hope you each had wonderful days.

Okay. Time for a cooling shower and then, I think, to brave the licensing office as I need to renew my license. (WE ARE ALL FUNTIMES HERE, YOU GUYS.)

I put up 21 of my videos over at BAM Vid vault. Now I need to go back through the vid posts and change the embed options, but at least it's a start!

This is very snarky and very funny and very catchy, in the bad, 'Uncle Fucka' from South Park kind of way.

I have today AND tomorrow off and of the rather large list of things I should/need to get done, I have done only two. (One I admittedly cannot do as I have no car, but still. There are a lot of other items on my list!) Instead I have spent the morning catching up on LJ comments, answering some emails, doing way too much thinking about So You Think You Can Dance (excellent show last night, although I'm not sure I needed such a full recap of the last three weeks; I was there, show, thanks!), acquiring SYTYCD icons, and aimlessly surfing the web. I should at least do some VIDDING for gosh sakes.

Instead, here is a very brief picspam from last night's SYTYCD. Caps by lore_85!

( Mostly what you should take away from this is: I LOVE EVAN'S GLOVESCollapse )

I think I am going to actually try and do some vidding. But first I should eat lunch as it's, um, almost 4pm. Heh.

I spent last week in San Diego on my last trip until post-Puplet arrival, and while it was wonderful to see friends and family (and also get a bunch of cute clothes for the Puplet at our baby shower), it was also very tiring, and now I am - as ever - behind on LJ and email. The former I won't catch up on. The latter I am slowly working my way through.

( PupdateCollapse )

Otherwise, I've been really busy with work, cleaning our house and yard, watching some TV but not much that I'm fannish about, trying to get through the stack of unread books I unearthed during our cleaning, and wishing I had the mental energy to vid.

Speaking of, apparently iMeem is being a complete jerkface and removing all of its streaming video? I'm not really sure why or the depth of the situation, but I did manage to catch that a lot of people are streaming over at Bam, so I followed the herd. I haven't put any of my vids up yet, but I will, as I do like having the streaming versions available. I just want to make sure I first capture my comments from iMeem before they disappear. Which is tomorrow, I think!

I was shocked and unexpectedly saddened by Michael Jackson's death last week. He takes up a surprisingly large part of my childhood music-related memories, and watching the many video retrospectives really brought that home to me. I've been enjoying rediscovering his music, which has also led to me listening to "Dirty Diana" more times than is probably healthy, but I love that song. Heh.

I am still watching (and loving!) So You Think You Can Dance this season. My crush on Evan is getting kind of out of control. I'm miffed at the female contestant that was let go this week, but then ( cut for spoilers for last weekCollapse )

We also are still watching and REALLY enjoying this season of Rescue Me. I mention it because while I had vague knowledge that the actor who plays Garrity could sing, I did not realize how well! He should sing on the show every week! I would watch that.

And we're making our way through season 2 of Flight of the Conchords. I can't remember where we stopped before I left, but now that we're caught back up on Tivo, we're going to dive back in. \o/

Happy belated birthday wishes to fenchurche (who lives so close and yet so very far! hee), dualbunny (I hope my Premiere vid is awesome this year, okay?), and zabira (you are made of sparkles and butterflies with little tattooed wings <3). And happy today wishes to catatonic1242! I hope your pets give you a day of good behavior.

I think that's it. You'd think I'd have more of substance to say, but you would be so very wrong. I hope that y'all are doing well.

Pacificon's back, tell your friends! That's right, Pacificon (aka BITCHIN' PARTY) is ON again for 2010, April 10-11 with unofficial con activities April 9. Tickets go on sale November 7! You should come out to Seattle and hang with us, it'll be FUN.

AHH and I have been watching Flight of the Conchords. It's a very quirky show, isn't it? It took me a few episodes, but I'm into the flow of it finally, and I have loved all of the songs. Jemaine is pretty hot as Bowie. Heh. I don't have much to say since it's just kind of a fun, goofy show, but we're enjoying it well enough!

I am convinced that the Puplet is totally planning a prison escape right now and, like the velociraptors from Jurassic Park, has been testing the fence for weaknesses ALL DAY. Oof.

How is So You Think You Can Dance SO AWESOME? I am really excited about this season's contestants! Go Evan & Caitlyn!

AHH and I occasionally will rank our Very Favorite Foods (based on overall use and ability to eat with other foods and general NOM-iness) and I am stumped on my #3. Here's what I've got:

1. Butter
2. Cheese
3. Avocado
3. Bacon
4. Potatoes

I think it's time for a poll, flist.



ETA: Speaking of bacon, for you bacon-lovers, you should totally watch this Jim Gaffigan comedic bit about bacon. It starts on the bacon stuff about 2 minutes in, and is hilarious. And true!

Well. That seems random enough for one day!

Today I'm feeling contemplative. ( Pregnancy update - long & with a pictureCollapse )

ION: I am really glad that the audition portion of So You Think You Can Dance? is over and that we are moving on to the competition part. YAY DANCING. I am GIDDY that Evan made the cut this year and have put quite a lot of my eggs in his basket. (...that's what she said?) It looks like a really talented, diverse crop in general and I can't wait to see how the season goes. Also, I want Adam Shankman to be in every episode. ♥

I'm not proud of that fact, or the fact that I not only watched Tool Academy (on accident!) but kind of want to see the next episode (on purpose). I've also watched Price is Right, Mamma Mia!, part of Bring It On, and am currently watching So You Think You Can Dance Canada (*eyes brynnmck and troyswann*).

The real reason I'm here is because I had the following question come to mind while teaching myself my latest piano piece, "It's Not Easy" from Pete's Dragon. That movie used to scare the crap out of me growing up, but nothing freaked me out like Pinocchio, especially when (hi, I'm not cutting for spoilers!) Pinocchio gets turned into a donkey-boy. Aiee.

Anyway, I thought I would bring the question to you, flist, in case your day has been as much of a waste as mine.



I should make use of this day and answer some comments. After another episode of SYTYCDC.

I had a wonderful evening yesterday, having dinner with trelkez and then watching the So You Think You Can Dance finale. ( Spoilers for winner!Collapse )

I am sad that I won't get my weekly magic of the dance for another year. Come back soon, dancers!

Great shirt or GREATEST shirt?

The Vid DVD Commentary seems like a go, but if it does happen, it'll be post-Vividcon as I still have lots of DVDs to burn and three things on my Fannish To Do list before I'm allowed to start anything else. Heh. If someone else *wants* to take up the reins of it, PLEASE DO.

I am feeling excited about Vividcon finally, so that's nice.

I leave you with a dumb, dumb joke that I find hilarious:

Carrying two dead raccoons, a buzzard tries to check in at LAX for the red-eye to New York. "Sorry, sir," says the ticket agent. "We allow only one item of carrion."

Ba-dum-dum!

*walks off, snickering*

Alright flist, YOU WIN. AHH and I started watching Six Feet Under tonight. So far: I really like it.

( Thoughts on 1x01Collapse )

I'm going to probably need an icon. Dammit.

And I actually enjoyed So You Think You Can Dance? tonight. Even the ( dance style spoiler?Collapse ) However, if they don't stop ass-kissing the choreographers every. single. dance. then AHH is going to go apoplectic and I will be shortly behind him.

I had a lousy day today (and that's being generous) and then I watched So You Think You Can Dance.

( Spoilers for tonight's results showCollapse )

The brightest part about today - and this is quite a bright thing, indeed - is that it's elynross' birthday. elyn is kind and confident and a genuine, good person who is a fantastic beta. She is also a rockstar for taking over Vividcon-leading duties. Happiest of birthday wishes to you today, elyn.

And I missed cal_turner's birthday yesterday - I'm sorry, cal! I hope you had a wonderful day, and a fantastic, JM-filled year.

I missed a bunch of birthdays while I was gone last week! Belated happy birthday wishes to theamyrlin, movies_michelle, destina, and neroli66! I hope you ladies all had a wonderful day.

And today is the birthday of the ever-lovely fenchurche AND minim_calibre! I hope you both also have fantastic days and that the weather holds as it says it is supposed to. :D

Holy cow, I love my current Current Obsessions playlist. The first three songs it randomly played today are just way too much awesome in that short a time:

1. Kathleen Edwards, "Independent Thief"
2. Matt Pond PA, "Taught to Look Away" (I think this is via vonnie_k? Whoever it was: THANK YOU. I LOVE it.)
3. Colin Meloy, "Blues Run the Game"

I mean, the playlist is (obviously) made up of songs I'm in love with right now, but these are my three favorites. I could listen to them over and over and never get tired. And I think I shall. Hee.

I'm really glad (and relieved, admittedly!) that other people are excited about More Joy Day. I realized this morning as I was taking a shower and trying to think of things to do, that this part, where I start putting my plans into motion, is one of my favorite things about More Joy Day.

I have missed deadlines for both hard_core_hero and the Ray's Fingerprints challenge over at ds_closet, but as both of them have very fluid definitions of "deadlines," I'm hoping to still write something for them, um, sometime. Lately I find myself consumed with the desire to vid, and a hundred vid ideas banging at my mental doors, demanding to be let in and crowd out all of the Adult Responsibilities I'm hosting. I wish I had the summer off. Why couldn't I have found vidding when I was in high school? (Oh yeah, because we were still using BBS' then. THAT'S the reason. Also, I would've flunked with that sort of distraction available to me. It's for the best, really.)

I also have missed vidding deadlines, which I feel like I have WOE'd about to everyone around me, but possibly that was all in my head and I spared you. ANYHOW. Vidding = sometime in the near future, I very much HOPE. (Sweet Charity vid in particular, which at this point, trelkez should receive a medal for her patience. Except, omg, I cannot get this Office ensemble vid idea out of my head and it might have to get made first, especially since I've intimidated myself with the SC vid.) Writing = Sometime after that. *nods firmly to self and tries to ignore all of the physical-space stuff I should do instead*

Can we talk about So You Think You Can Dance? I frigging LOVE this show. I look forward to it every week, and usually spend Tuesdays watching my favorite dance routines from previous seasons to tide me over until Wednesday's show. So far I've only seen the first hour of last night's show, but can I just say that as much as I typically don't like Mia, last night she was giving (mostly) decent critiques and I want to use the word "banoodles" for all time. ALSO, ( sort of spoilery talk about the first half dancesCollapse )

I was gonna talk about the BSG finale a little more, but this is long enough and I'm starving. I need breakfast.