Michael Phelps

Ah-mazing.

Congratulations, Michael. You did an amazing job. I cried--a lot.

Go Team USA.




it makes me wonder if i was born to be doing something that i never tried...broom ball, perhaps?

I LOVE NetFlix!

Yes, NetFlix has had a bit of a glitch lately, considering I usually get my DVDs the next day without a hitch and they have had a bit of a senior moment, but thats okay.

I just finished watching (obsessing) "The West Wing", Season One. I always heard it was amazing, but I never saw it when it was on live. Its a shame really, I would have thoroughly enjoyed seeing this in it's heyday. But alas, this was before the iTunes and same-season DVD release of TV shows.

Previously, when you missed a season of television because you were working, schooling, or stupidly watching an inferior show on another station, you had to try and catch in on summertime reruns...so basically, if you missed the first season, you never watched the show--ever.

Say what you want about technology, but it truely has changed the way people view television and has given shows that normally wouldn't be watched a second glance. NBC's "The Office" was about to be axed by NBC when it was saved by iTunes downloads...it just makes me wonder if "Arrested Development" had DVDs and iTunes, would I still be laughing at bizarre chicken impressions?

I will continue on to Season 2 of West Wing immediately now, and plan on doing the same with Gossip Girl before the 2nd season starts in September. I have never been one to shy away from technology, but I really love instant gratification.

Oh, and DVR is pretty much the best invention of all time.

Pineapple Express

We all know how much I love Judd Apatow, and this movie did everything to satiate my hunger for humor. Another one written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, but surprisingly different than Superbad.

We have (barely) graduated high school with this one so the humor was taken out of the sex ed classroom and focused soley on the chronic and stoner mileu. I have missed James Franco from the Apatow circle of friends. He seriously could have walked out of my apartment building and/or high school. He is the guy that you know is good-looking and super nice, but is frustratingly disguised by his uncut hair, musty clothes and just-got-lit eyes and smile. Casting perfection.

This movie had innumerable pop culture references, with one of my favorite being the Judd Nelson shout-out by Red..."I'm going for a scholarship..." Speaking of Red, relative newcomer Danny McBride was spot-on for the friendly, Southern weed middleman. He blended with Seth and James flawlessly and helped create what will be a great trio in pop culture history. Some of the best scenes were ones where they were "fighting" with Gary Cole and company and just tried to do moves they would have seen in a movie or TV show.

I highly recommend this one to anyone with a sense of humor and have ever known anyone who was an adorable pot-head...which I am pretty sure is 97% of the population.

8.5/10

Breaking Dawn

Well, the final book in the Twilight series certainly had an apt title--I pushed dawn two nights in a row in order to finish it off.

Why I wasn't as panicked as reading the 7th Harry Potter, I was definitely anxious with the combination of not wanting to finish something and wanting to finish so I wouldn't be ruined by any spoilers. I hate that feeling of when I know that I am leaving a world that I want to be a part of. At least the first film hasn't come out yet, so hopefully if it does well, then we will have 3 more to look forward to.

I don't think this was my favorite of the 4 books--I am pretty sure nothing can compare to the OG Twilight I and being exposed to the lust of Edward and Bella. But it did an excellent job of wrapping things up and leaving Twilighters satisfied with their vampiric world. I missed some of the electric heat between Edward and Bella...I think what made them so sexy was their inability to um, "express their love" if I am being trite. Actually, Stephenie Meyer has commented before that many women have introduced their babies named Bella to her and said their conception was the result of the sexual tension in the book--ironic since Bella and Edward made abstinence sexy. I was seriously looking forward to reading about their first time on their honeymoon--not just an ellipses of the fact. Yes, I am like a teenage girl this way. You couldn't help but wonder what if would be like to be with the glistening perfection that is Edward Cullen--he was designed out of every woman's deepest desire of what an ideal mate would be...minus the bloodsucking thing.

But I guess the final book affected me more than I had originally thought: Yesterday I was complaining of constricting chest pains--sort of like after you get over a cough or when a panic attack is about to ensue. I felt I had trouble breathing all day, I attributed this to allergies or the humidity. However, when I finished Breaking Dawn at 2am, I turned off the light and those chest pains turned into a full-blown anxiety attack. My heart was hammering and I felt like I couldn't breathe worse than during the day when I was out and running errands. This made me realize that I was actually mourning over the loss of a world that is excellent to escape to. I vaguely remember doing this over Harry Potter as well, but that was more full-on depression for 3 days.

I will miss Edward, Bella, Jacob, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, Carslise and little Renesme more than I can express. All I can do is wait for Midnight Sun with bated breath and watch the Twilight trailer over and over again like an obsessed 13-year old Catholic school girl.

Thank you Stephenie Meyer, for making a mundane 26-year old females world a little brighter.