In light of the recent events in Isla Vista, California, the hashtag #yesallwomen has become a trending topic. Most of people who use the hashtag are women, and they're sharing stories about the injustice they've faced as a female. Some of the stories are heartbreaking 140-character tales of violence and sexual abuse. Some are stories of discrimination and inequality. All of them share the theme that being female in this country, and the world, comes with a special set of obstacles that we must overcome daily. This is part of my story.
Back in March, I talked about the first time (and second, actually) that I remember experiencing sexism. While both of those instances were important events in my childhood, they were not nearly as important as an incident that happened in high school.
All throughout high school I participated in Scholastic Bowl. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, Scholastic Bowl is an official team activity governed by IHSA rules in Illinois. Teams of up to 15 students, 5 at a time, compete against different schools to answer the most questions correctly in a match. Matches consist of 10 toss-up questions in math, science, social studies, literature, fine arts, and miscellaneous (sports, technology, agriculture, consumer economics, etc.) At the end of each round, a bonus question is presented that has multiple answer parts and is worth more points. Basically it's high-anxiety bar trivia. Because everything is high-anxiety when you're in high school. If, for some reason, you're interested in reading official rules, you can check out the Handbook for Managers. Like with other IHSA activities, there are often JV and Varsity teams. JV Teams typically receive slightly easier questions. And while the varsity players were typically juniors and seniors, it wasn't unusual to have sophomores playing varsity - especially in my small school.
The misogyny started pretty much right away. As a freshman, I mostly played on the JV team, but both JV and Varsity travelled together to all our matches, so I spent a lot of time hanging out with upperclassmen. One senior boy in particular liked to tell "women jokes". One of his favorites was to ask a girl why she was wearing a watch and respond to whatever answer she gave with, "But I don't know why you need to wear one. There's a clock on the stove." He was a real charmer. As a freshman I laughed along because I wanted to fit in and not rock the boat. But those kind of jokes got old really quickly, and it got harder for me to hold my tongue. Luckily that particular gentleman graduated, and I didn't have to deal with him again. Honestly, he should be happy he never had to deal with me again. But that was the culture of our team, and it would only get worse the next year.
We had a new guidance counselor/coach my sophomore year as the chemistry teacher/former coach had retired after the previous school year. I don't remember if the new coach and I consistently butted heads before this incident, but we certainly did following it. It was near the end of our season, and we were heading to a tournament - probably the county tournament. The coach was chronically disorganized and had made a mistake in what time the match was. We ended up arriving at the host school super late and had to go straight into our first match, which immediately frustrated me and some of my teammates. As we made our way to the room for our first match, our coach told us who the "starting lineup" would be. He chose 5 boys. All the girls on the team looked at each other, confused, because we knew that over the course of the season, many of us had higher percentages of correct answers than at least two of the guys who would be playing. When we asked the coach if he would reconsider, he told us to "just let the boys handle it". Utilizing the coach's male dream team, our team lost that match. I was furious, as were other female members of my team. As a naturally competitive person, it was excruciating to watch my team lose knowing that I could have contributed, and perhaps helped us win.
Furious at the blatantly sexist behavior and statement from my coach, I arrived at school the next day armed with my teen angst, a heaping dose of indignation, and song lyrics. I printed the lyrics to No Doubt's song "Just a Girl" in a large font and papered the outside of my locker with them. That morning I was called out of my second hour class to meet with the assistant principal (or Ass Prince as we so cleverly thought of him) in front of my locker. When he asked me to explain my new locker decor, I recounted the previous day's events. I was fired up, but I never raised my voice, nor did I use any foul language. The Ass Prince responded by calling me hysterical and telling me to remove the lyrics from my locker. I refused based on the principle that other students were allowed to decorate their lockers based on athletic teams or other activities, and this was in relation to one of my extra-curricular activities. Furthermore, those song lyrics are not obscene or in any way inappropriate. It was then that my school administrator told me that he thought I had mental problems, and that maybe I should go talk to my guidance counselor. You know, the person who condescended to me the evening before. The one whose behavior was the reason I made this statement in the first place. I politely told the assistant principal that I would not be seeking advice from that guidance counselor any time in the near future, and I excused myself to return to my world history class. I don't know for sure that my conversation with the administration made any difference, but after that, at least one girl played in the season's remaining matches. As for our coach, he was replaced the following year with a different guidance counselor who is a wonderful woman that nurtured us as a team rather than creating rifts between genders. She also regularly told us how smart we all were, which certainly didn't hurt our self-esteem.
I consider myself lucky because my experiences with sexism and misogyny have been verbal or intellectual, unlike some of my friends who have experienced sexual assault and violence. It is an incredibly sad thought to me, though, that I get to consider myself lucky because my experiences thus far haven't involved physical violation of my person. Because of this I can confidently say that #yesallwomen experience sexism. I can also say that as a feminist, I think it's time we do something about that.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Ben Folds & the SLSO? Splendid!
Charlie Kinzer introduced me to Ben Folds around 1999. Charlie was one of my best childhood friends, and one of the smartest kids I had ever met. Back then my friends and I would would spend our nights firing up the dial-up modem and chatting on the ICQ instant messaging system. As Charlie and I were chatting one night, he told me he was going to send me a song I should hear. He sent me a copy of "Brick" by Ben Folds Five. He said it was a great song, and that I would love it. Fifteen years later, I do love the song. But lately I've been thinking a lot about the night I first heard it. I certainly did not understand the subject matter of the song, and now I wonder if Charlie understood the gravity of the lyrics. I mean, he was the smartest person in our class, so maybe he did understand it. I certainly didn't.
The second time I was really exposed to the music of Ben Folds was in my friend Kevin's car in 2005. A group of us were making the trek from Champaign to West Lafayette, IN to watch the Illinois vs. Purdue basketball game. Kevin was a HUGE Ben Folds fan, and we therefore listened to Ben Fold/Five the entire length of the journey. At the time, I thought Kevin's devotion to the music was a little extreme, but I can admit I've always liked the way Ben can slip the word "fuck" into so many of his songs.
Over the years I grew more and more fond of the music, and I've been lucky enough to see him in concert a number of times, including last summer with Ben Folds Five. Right on the heels of that Ben Folds Five concert last year, I found out that Ben would be playing a number of shows in 2014 with orchestras around the country. Two dates with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra were announced, and that sealed the deal for me.
I contacted one of my SAI sisters, Amber, who moved back to Missouri a couple years ago, and we got tickets. We found out that another of our SAI sisters, Clare, would be in attendance the same night with her husband, and we made a plan to meet up for dinner and the show. A week before the concert, I learned that the guy who taught my saxophone methods class in college would be playing with the SLSO for the concert. How cool is that? He's been playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this season as well, which is cool, but those shows did not include Ben Folds! Holmes is so cool. (Clearly. Based on the number of times I used "cool" to describe him/his situation.)
I had enjoyed each of the three previous Ben Folds/Five concerts I attended, and this was no exception. After the orchestra was situated on stage, Folds took to the piano and opened with one of my personal favorites, "Effington". That song holds a special place in the hearts of Central Illinois fans, because it was inspired by his drive between Effingham, IL and Normal, IL for a show at Illinois State University. The first part of the show included "Smoke", "Jesusland", and "Picture Window". At that point we were treated to the first movement of the piano concerto Ben had spent most of 2013 writing. He'll soon be performing it with the Nashville Symphony and the Nashville Ballet.
The concerto movement was lovely. I found it interesting that Ben's posture changed significantly during that piece. While Folds is known for a more relaxed posture at the piano (sometime including standing in front of, or even on top of the keyboard), for this part of the performance, he sat up straight. He didn't stomp his foot down on the pedals. He demonstrated for the audience the removal of the tape he typically wears on his fingers to protect them while they bang into ivory for hours during a show. He was a different performer. The music was different, too, obviously. The word "fuck" was nowhere to be found, for one. But the music was still distinctively Ben Folds. The influence of his rock music was apparent, but that only enhanced the concerto movement for me. I wanted the piece to sound like a piano concerto composed by Ben Folds, and I truly believe he delivered that.
The rest of the first set included "Landed, "Fred Jones pt. 2", and "Steven's Last Night in Town". The last song of the set was terrific. One of the few pieces that includes wind instruments in the original version, the orchestra was really able to make that piece come alive. It kept the energy high going into intermission.
Following intermission (and one of the longest bathroom lines I have seen EVER), Folds and the SLSO took the stage for the second set. They opened with "Zak and Sara", followed by "Cologne", which was preceded with a humorous story about the birth of the song while Ben was on tour in Europe. Ben Folds is known by his fans for improvising music on stage. This often starts with some fan shouting "Rock This Bitch" at the stage. At that point, Folds will launch into an improvised song about whatever is on his mind at the time. Thankfully this concert was no different in that regard. What was pretty magical though, was how he incorporated the orchestra. The sections of the orchestra were instructed to play different parts as he built the sound up from the bottom. Over the top of the orchestra, he sang to us about how he was staying at the hotel with the casino (where our friends Clare & Bill stayed!) and the trouble with trying to eat healthy while on tour. Apparently it's very difficult to eat vegetables when you're getting room service on the regular.
The rest of the set was amazing. After thoroughly rocking the bitch, he played the unmistakable opening chords to "Annie Waits". That was actually a really interesting social experiment on audience reactions in different genres, but I'll get to that later. Next we were treated to a somewhat rare performance of "The Luckiest", which was the first time I had heard him play it live. That was followed by "Not the Same", which included some more patented Ben Folds on-stage shenanigans. One of the reasons I really love seeing him live is because he invites audience participation. For "Not the Same", he broke the audience into three voice parts, taught us a chord change by rote, and invited us to sing along on the chorus.
Following "Not the Same", he played "Brick", and I thought of Charlie Kinzer. Is that weird to think of your childhood best friend during a song about a teenage abortion? Hmmm, that might be a thought to ponder another time. Anyway, he wrapped things up with "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" and "Narcolepsy". After a standing ovation, in which I happily participated, the orchestra left the stage, but Ben returned for an encore. I'll be honest. I don't remember what the first song he played was. I know that for the Sunday night show, he played "Rockin' the Suburbs" first, but that wasn't the case on Saturday night. He closed out the whole evening with the song "Army", which is one of my favorite Ben Folds songs ever. I always hope he'll play "Army", but I was interested in whether or not he would perform it with the orchestra on this concert. The song features a horn break in the middle, and a concert with an orchestra would be the perfect opportunity to perform it. I have to admit, however, that he played it in my preferred way - by splitting the audience in half and having us sing the horn lines. I seriously love that he invites audience participation.
Beyond my notes on the individual songs performed, I made notes about the performance as a whole. I love that the conductor danced throughout the concert, even singing along at times. You could tell he was an actual fan. The lighting director for the event also did a great job. I assume the lighting concept was a watered down version of what happens during a typical Ben Folds show, but seeing in the context of the orchestra concert really changed my perception of the performance. I thought it might be distracting at first, but I found it totally enhanced my experience. It was surprisingly wonderful.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the evening for my friend Amber and me was the eclectic mix of patrons at the concert. There was a fair mix of Ben Folds fans and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra ticket holders. The audience interactions made this distinction more apparent. As I mentioned earlier, the song "Annie Waits" has a distinct opening that includes singular claps from the audience before the first verse. For example:
Many Ben Folds fans in the audience clapped in time as we've been conditioned to do over the years. The season ticket holders near my seats were noticeably startled when that happened. Amber and I discussed our own internal struggle about appropriate behavior at the concert. Both of us bridged the gap between Ben Folds fans and orchestra fans by being rock music loving classically trained musicians. I would never yell or "WOO!" during an orchestra concert, but I absolutely do during rock shows. Finding the appropriate response during this concert was interesting to say the least.
It was really a spectacular evening, though. I was able to spend a night enjoying music I love, performed by musicians I admire (and 1 I know!), with people who bring me great happiness. It may have taken me two weeks since the concert to finally write about it, but clearly that was because I have a lot of thoughts and feelings on the matter. If you've made it to the end of this, gold star for you. When I started writing it, I thought it would be a love letter. I didn't know it would be a love tome.
The second time I was really exposed to the music of Ben Folds was in my friend Kevin's car in 2005. A group of us were making the trek from Champaign to West Lafayette, IN to watch the Illinois vs. Purdue basketball game. Kevin was a HUGE Ben Folds fan, and we therefore listened to Ben Fold/Five the entire length of the journey. At the time, I thought Kevin's devotion to the music was a little extreme, but I can admit I've always liked the way Ben can slip the word "fuck" into so many of his songs.
Over the years I grew more and more fond of the music, and I've been lucky enough to see him in concert a number of times, including last summer with Ben Folds Five. Right on the heels of that Ben Folds Five concert last year, I found out that Ben would be playing a number of shows in 2014 with orchestras around the country. Two dates with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra were announced, and that sealed the deal for me.
I contacted one of my SAI sisters, Amber, who moved back to Missouri a couple years ago, and we got tickets. We found out that another of our SAI sisters, Clare, would be in attendance the same night with her husband, and we made a plan to meet up for dinner and the show. A week before the concert, I learned that the guy who taught my saxophone methods class in college would be playing with the SLSO for the concert. How cool is that? He's been playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this season as well, which is cool, but those shows did not include Ben Folds! Holmes is so cool. (Clearly. Based on the number of times I used "cool" to describe him/his situation.)
I had enjoyed each of the three previous Ben Folds/Five concerts I attended, and this was no exception. After the orchestra was situated on stage, Folds took to the piano and opened with one of my personal favorites, "Effington". That song holds a special place in the hearts of Central Illinois fans, because it was inspired by his drive between Effingham, IL and Normal, IL for a show at Illinois State University. The first part of the show included "Smoke", "Jesusland", and "Picture Window". At that point we were treated to the first movement of the piano concerto Ben had spent most of 2013 writing. He'll soon be performing it with the Nashville Symphony and the Nashville Ballet.
The concerto movement was lovely. I found it interesting that Ben's posture changed significantly during that piece. While Folds is known for a more relaxed posture at the piano (sometime including standing in front of, or even on top of the keyboard), for this part of the performance, he sat up straight. He didn't stomp his foot down on the pedals. He demonstrated for the audience the removal of the tape he typically wears on his fingers to protect them while they bang into ivory for hours during a show. He was a different performer. The music was different, too, obviously. The word "fuck" was nowhere to be found, for one. But the music was still distinctively Ben Folds. The influence of his rock music was apparent, but that only enhanced the concerto movement for me. I wanted the piece to sound like a piano concerto composed by Ben Folds, and I truly believe he delivered that.
 |
| One of the illicit photos I surreptitiously took during the show |
The rest of the first set included "Landed, "Fred Jones pt. 2", and "Steven's Last Night in Town". The last song of the set was terrific. One of the few pieces that includes wind instruments in the original version, the orchestra was really able to make that piece come alive. It kept the energy high going into intermission.
Following intermission (and one of the longest bathroom lines I have seen EVER), Folds and the SLSO took the stage for the second set. They opened with "Zak and Sara", followed by "Cologne", which was preceded with a humorous story about the birth of the song while Ben was on tour in Europe. Ben Folds is known by his fans for improvising music on stage. This often starts with some fan shouting "Rock This Bitch" at the stage. At that point, Folds will launch into an improvised song about whatever is on his mind at the time. Thankfully this concert was no different in that regard. What was pretty magical though, was how he incorporated the orchestra. The sections of the orchestra were instructed to play different parts as he built the sound up from the bottom. Over the top of the orchestra, he sang to us about how he was staying at the hotel with the casino (where our friends Clare & Bill stayed!) and the trouble with trying to eat healthy while on tour. Apparently it's very difficult to eat vegetables when you're getting room service on the regular.
 |
| Instructing the instrumentalists on their parts for "Rock this Bitch" |
The rest of the set was amazing. After thoroughly rocking the bitch, he played the unmistakable opening chords to "Annie Waits". That was actually a really interesting social experiment on audience reactions in different genres, but I'll get to that later. Next we were treated to a somewhat rare performance of "The Luckiest", which was the first time I had heard him play it live. That was followed by "Not the Same", which included some more patented Ben Folds on-stage shenanigans. One of the reasons I really love seeing him live is because he invites audience participation. For "Not the Same", he broke the audience into three voice parts, taught us a chord change by rote, and invited us to sing along on the chorus.
Following "Not the Same", he played "Brick", and I thought of Charlie Kinzer. Is that weird to think of your childhood best friend during a song about a teenage abortion? Hmmm, that might be a thought to ponder another time. Anyway, he wrapped things up with "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" and "Narcolepsy". After a standing ovation, in which I happily participated, the orchestra left the stage, but Ben returned for an encore. I'll be honest. I don't remember what the first song he played was. I know that for the Sunday night show, he played "Rockin' the Suburbs" first, but that wasn't the case on Saturday night. He closed out the whole evening with the song "Army", which is one of my favorite Ben Folds songs ever. I always hope he'll play "Army", but I was interested in whether or not he would perform it with the orchestra on this concert. The song features a horn break in the middle, and a concert with an orchestra would be the perfect opportunity to perform it. I have to admit, however, that he played it in my preferred way - by splitting the audience in half and having us sing the horn lines. I seriously love that he invites audience participation.
Beyond my notes on the individual songs performed, I made notes about the performance as a whole. I love that the conductor danced throughout the concert, even singing along at times. You could tell he was an actual fan. The lighting director for the event also did a great job. I assume the lighting concept was a watered down version of what happens during a typical Ben Folds show, but seeing in the context of the orchestra concert really changed my perception of the performance. I thought it might be distracting at first, but I found it totally enhanced my experience. It was surprisingly wonderful.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the evening for my friend Amber and me was the eclectic mix of patrons at the concert. There was a fair mix of Ben Folds fans and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra ticket holders. The audience interactions made this distinction more apparent. As I mentioned earlier, the song "Annie Waits" has a distinct opening that includes singular claps from the audience before the first verse. For example:
It was really a spectacular evening, though. I was able to spend a night enjoying music I love, performed by musicians I admire (and 1 I know!), with people who bring me great happiness. It may have taken me two weeks since the concert to finally write about it, but clearly that was because I have a lot of thoughts and feelings on the matter. If you've made it to the end of this, gold star for you. When I started writing it, I thought it would be a love letter. I didn't know it would be a love tome.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Celebrating HIMYM? Splendid!
Kids, I'm going to tell you an incredible story. A story about How I Met Your Mother.
Tonight the series finale airs for one of my favorite sitcoms. I'm convinced I subconsciously forgot to wear mascara today, because I didn't want to ugly-cry it off during tonight's HIMYM viewing. I didn't start watching the show when it premiered in 2005, but I think I picked it up in the 3rd season, catching up on previous episodes through Stacey's DVDs. I've been hooked ever since.
I think one of the reasons I love it so much is because when I started watching it, I related to the characters. They were about the same age as me, they weren't all working insanely high paying jobs with little experience (except Barney, PLEASE.). Through the years we've seen the characters all go through some pretty dramatic changes, and I like that. Because your twenties and thirties are full of change, at least in my experience. I love that the characters always come back to each other because they are the family they've chosen.
Also, I love Marshall & Lily.
I love that for the duration of the series, the writers have given us so many quotable moments, so many callback jokes, so many high fives.
I wanted to do a Top 10 list of my favorite episodes, but that was just too difficult, so I had to set some parameters for myself. Below are my favorite episodes from each of the nine seasons, plus my all-time favorite episode. Spoilers abound, yo.
Season 1 - "Zip, Zip, Zip"
Marshall and Lily abandon their plans for an anniversary weekend away in favor of a low key weekend at home. This weekend includes a Quantum Leap marathon that makes my heart, well, leap. Unfortunately they get stuck in the bathroom while brushing their teeth as Ted and Victoria return to the apartment.
I also find the glass shattering metaphor is so true to life. Once someone's annoying habit has been pointed out, it's all I can focus on.
I loved Victoria in Season 1, so I was so excited to see her come back in Season 7 (initially - not a fan of her in the rest of her episodes)! The best part of the episode for me, though, is Robin's constant reminders to Ted to pick up where he left off in the story. We all know how annoying it can be to be constantly interrupted during a story, and I love that she keeps reminding him to finish.
And now...
All Time Favorite Episode! From Season 1 - "The Pineapple Incident"
After a night at MacLaren's where Ted drinks multiple shots in succession, the next morning is spent piecing the evening together. Questions Ted needs to answer include how he sprained his ankle, what happened to his jacket, what phone number is written on his arm, who the girl in his bed is, and of course WHAT ABOUT THE PINEAPPLE?!
The each scene of the episode builds on the knowledge of the previous episode. We learn that Ted gets put to bed multiple times by his friends, each time, returning to the bar and shouting, "I'm back, babydolls!" Throughout the night he repeatedly calls Robin, he sings Cheap Trick to everyone in the bar, and talks about breaking into the zoo because, "I gotta see some penguins, like, right now!" (I can relate to this feeling.) Danica McKeller guest stars as Trudy, which is awesome, because WINNIE COOPER FTW!
This episode is just full of hilarious moments as Ted recreates what happened the night before. Easily my favorite episode ever.
And thus ends my love letter to How I Met Your Mother. Even the episodes that could be better are still good. I've grown to love the characters, and the actors for that matter, and I'm going to miss them! Thankfully the show is all kinds of syndicated, and our apartment has two nearly-complete sets of the series on DVD.
Tonight the series finale airs for one of my favorite sitcoms. I'm convinced I subconsciously forgot to wear mascara today, because I didn't want to ugly-cry it off during tonight's HIMYM viewing. I didn't start watching the show when it premiered in 2005, but I think I picked it up in the 3rd season, catching up on previous episodes through Stacey's DVDs. I've been hooked ever since.
I think one of the reasons I love it so much is because when I started watching it, I related to the characters. They were about the same age as me, they weren't all working insanely high paying jobs with little experience (except Barney, PLEASE.). Through the years we've seen the characters all go through some pretty dramatic changes, and I like that. Because your twenties and thirties are full of change, at least in my experience. I love that the characters always come back to each other because they are the family they've chosen.
Also, I love Marshall & Lily.
I love that for the duration of the series, the writers have given us so many quotable moments, so many callback jokes, so many high fives.
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| Via |
Season 1 - "Zip, Zip, Zip"
Marshall and Lily abandon their plans for an anniversary weekend away in favor of a low key weekend at home. This weekend includes a Quantum Leap marathon that makes my heart, well, leap. Unfortunately they get stuck in the bathroom while brushing their teeth as Ted and Victoria return to the apartment.
Ted and Victoria are finally ready to sleep together, and the build up to the main event is full of cheesy lines like "I wanna know you, like know your soul." After Lily and Marshall finally make it out of the bathroom, they mimic the absurdity of Ted and Victoria's conversation, including Lily asking Marshall, "What makes you cry?"
In the same episode, Robin agrees to be Barney's wingman for the evening for his "Bro-ing About Town." This is some lovely foreshadowing for future seasons and also includes the Freeze Frame Five:
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| Via |
Season 2 - "Slap Bet"
The gang finds out Robin refuses to go to malls but she won't tell them why. Barney is certain that Robin starred in a porno and sets out to find evidence. He and Marshall enter into a Slap Bet, with Lily as Slap Bet Commissioner, about the real story behind Robin's past. To throw them off the scent, she creates an elaborate lie that she got married in a Canadian mall. Through Barney's search, we find out the truth is that Robin was a Canadian teen pop star named Robin Sparkles. We are then treated to the masterpiece that is "Let's Go to the Mall", and it is truly magnificent.
This also begins the anticipation for the remaining slaps between Marshall and Barney, as Marshall won the right to slap Barney in the face, as hard as possible, five times throughout eternity.
Season 3 - "Spoiler Alert"
Marshall lost the password to the website where his bar exam results are posted. Meanwhile, everyone in the group finds out their annoying habits through moments of clarity from their friends. Lily chews loudly, Robin says "literally" all the time, Ted is a corrector, Barney has a whole slew of issues, and Marshall sings about the mundane things in his life, including but not limited to paying bills and doing laundry. Robin points out that sometimes he sings nonsense, but since it's always so catchy, the rest of them end up with the ditties stuck in their heads. For example:
AOBCD8663 turns out to be the missing password, and Marshall can finally find out that he has passed the New York bar exam. Other highlights include Ted doing ASL, like when he first met Barney at MacLaren's. I love that Josh Radnor actually knows ASL.
I also find the glass shattering metaphor is so true to life. Once someone's annoying habit has been pointed out, it's all I can focus on.
Season 3 Honorable Mention - "Sandcastles in the Sand" because Robin Sparkles, y'all! And the video is jus so magnificent with James Van Der Beek reprising his roll as Simon, plus cameos from Alan Thicke and Tiffany.
Season 4 - "Murtaugh"
Basically Ted has his Murtaugh List of things that he is too old to do anymore. Barney accepts a challenge to complete the entire list before Ted can complete Barney & Robin's list of "old folks" things. Hilarity ensues. Also, Marshall starts coaching Lily's kindergarteners at basketball, and they don't have similar teaching philosophies.
My favorite quote from the episode is when Barney says, "My ear hurts so much and I can hear it," after his self-pierced ear becomes infected. Barney and Robin attending a rave was also pretty spectacular.
To this day, I still laugh out loud at the teen wolf playing against Lily & Marshall's kindergartner basketball team. It's so absurd! Lily's request that the kids make him feel welcome despite the fact that he looks different is great.
My favorite quote from the episode is when Barney says, "My ear hurts so much and I can hear it," after his self-pierced ear becomes infected. Barney and Robin attending a rave was also pretty spectacular.
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| Via |
By far the best part of this episode, for me, is how they tried to hide Alyson & Cobie's pregnancies with flowy shirts, laundry baskets, basketballs & guitars. The entire second half of the season is pretty spectacular because of that.
Season 4 Honorable Mention - "Naked Man" because it works 2/3 of the time. And I love the callback to this episode in season 9.
Season 5 - "Say Cheese"
Marshall has planned a great birthday for Lily, but Ted throws a wrench in the plan by bringing a girl he just started dating to the intimate party. Also, Robin tried to get Barney to take a bad picture.
Anyone who knows me knows that Lily's love for her birthday rivals only mine. I love that Marshall is as excited about Lily's birthday as she is. He even creates two games for her: Lillial Pursuit and Gilding the Lily. I freaking love it.
Robin's eventual success at getting Barney to take a bad picture is also tremendous.
Anyone who knows me knows that Lily's love for her birthday rivals only mine. I love that Marshall is as excited about Lily's birthday as she is. He even creates two games for her: Lillial Pursuit and Gilding the Lily. I freaking love it.
Robin's eventual success at getting Barney to take a bad picture is also tremendous.
Season 6 - "Natural History"
Admittedly, I never liked Zoe. At all. And I wanted to like her, but mostly because I went to college with the actress' younger brother. But no, Zoe was just totally unlikable to me. Her husband, The Captain, was also pretty ridiculous, but I love that when Ted introduced himself as Galactic President Superstar McAwesomeville, he went with it. More people should be able to name themselves.
Hands down, the best storyline in the episode is Barney and Robin going through the museum touching things. Robin carrying around the penguin and saying he's stuffed gets me every time. Things take a turn for the touching when Barney finds out that the man he called Uncle Jerry as a young child was actually his father. It's kind of heartbreaking that he didn't have any more contact with Jerry throughout his childhood because of the trouble Barney caused at the museum as a kid.
Hands down, the best storyline in the episode is Barney and Robin going through the museum touching things. Robin carrying around the penguin and saying he's stuffed gets me every time. Things take a turn for the touching when Barney finds out that the man he called Uncle Jerry as a young child was actually his father. It's kind of heartbreaking that he didn't have any more contact with Jerry throughout his childhood because of the trouble Barney caused at the museum as a kid.
Season 6 Honorable Mention - "Hopeless" because of the opening sequence:
Also, because "Bad News" is too sad to make this list.
Also, because "Bad News" is too sad to make this list.
Season 7 - "Ducky Tie"
This is kind a confusing episode, bouncing back and forth between dinner at Shinjitsu teppanyaki restaurant and the Architect's Ball. During dinner at Shinjitsu Barney bets Marshall that he can complete all the tricks the chef does in exchange for seeing Lily's boobs (now larger due to her pregnancy). If Barney loses, he must wear Marshall's ducky tie for one year. While all this is going on, Ted recounts to the group what happened when he ran into Victoria at the Architect's Ball, which he attended with Robin.
I loved Victoria in Season 1, so I was so excited to see her come back in Season 7 (initially - not a fan of her in the rest of her episodes)! The best part of the episode for me, though, is Robin's constant reminders to Ted to pick up where he left off in the story. We all know how annoying it can be to be constantly interrupted during a story, and I love that she keeps reminding him to finish.
Season 8 - "P.S. I Love You"
It's Robin Sparkles 4 y'all! After Robin comes to Ted's defense when their friends say his new girlfriend is a stalker, Barney goes on another hunt for evidence of why Robin feels this way. It's revealed that she recorded a song called "P.S. I Love You" and was obsessed with a Canadian celebrity. We later find out the celebrity was Paul Schaffer.
Highlights of the episode include a conversation of Dobbler vs. Dahmer in terms of pursuing a love interest. As a way of illustrating the difference, Ted uses Marshall and Lily as an example. The flashback of Marshall playing ukulele to Lily in major (Dobbler) and creepy minor (Dahmer) keys is lovely. Also, I love any time Jason Segel plays an instrument - especially a ukulele!
Highlights of the episode include a conversation of Dobbler vs. Dahmer in terms of pursuing a love interest. As a way of illustrating the difference, Ted uses Marshall and Lily as an example. The flashback of Marshall playing ukulele to Lily in major (Dobbler) and creepy minor (Dahmer) keys is lovely. Also, I love any time Jason Segel plays an instrument - especially a ukulele!
The video for "P.S. I Love You" is a fantastic reference to fellow Canadian songstress, Alanis Morisette's video for "You Oughta Know". Speaking of "You Oughta Know", Dave Coulier has a cameo, as do Paul Schaffer, Geddy Lee, Jason Preiestly, Alex Trebek, Steven Page, and k.d. lang. It's like the Canadian lottery!
Season 9 - "How Your Mother Met Me"
This season has been a little more disjointed that previous seasons, since it's supposed to take place during the wedding weekend, but flashes back and forward multiple times each episode. This episode explains what the mother was doing throughout the series till we meet her - all the instances where she and Ted had near misses. It also starts with the adorable mother-centric opening theme:
This is a pretty amazing episode full of callbacks since we see the last 9 years through her eyes. I must admit that I cried within the first 3 minutes of the episode when she loses someone close to her. I cried especially hard when I saw that he had given her a ukulele for her birthday! We get to see her at the St. Patrick's Day party where she loses her yellow umbrella, which she leaves behind when she takes her former orchestra camp counselor, Mitch, back to her apartment to give him her cello for his underfunded orchestra program. That's when she finds out that Mitch is the Naked Man from Season 4.
We see how she meets her roommate Cindy during the lecture on Ted's first day teaching. We see the aftermath of Ted and Cindy's breakup, which leads to Cindy kissing the mother and telling her, "I might have some stuff to figure out." We see the mother meet her next boyfriend, Louis, after a gig with her band. There are Save the Arcadia posters in the background when they meet!
We see her meet some of the gang and anonymously buy Ted a drink. We see her make the conscious decision to move on with her life after a proposal from Louis. It's all very sweet.
This is a pretty amazing episode full of callbacks since we see the last 9 years through her eyes. I must admit that I cried within the first 3 minutes of the episode when she loses someone close to her. I cried especially hard when I saw that he had given her a ukulele for her birthday! We get to see her at the St. Patrick's Day party where she loses her yellow umbrella, which she leaves behind when she takes her former orchestra camp counselor, Mitch, back to her apartment to give him her cello for his underfunded orchestra program. That's when she finds out that Mitch is the Naked Man from Season 4.
We see how she meets her roommate Cindy during the lecture on Ted's first day teaching. We see the aftermath of Ted and Cindy's breakup, which leads to Cindy kissing the mother and telling her, "I might have some stuff to figure out." We see the mother meet her next boyfriend, Louis, after a gig with her band. There are Save the Arcadia posters in the background when they meet!
We see her meet some of the gang and anonymously buy Ted a drink. We see her make the conscious decision to move on with her life after a proposal from Louis. It's all very sweet.
And now...
All Time Favorite Episode! From Season 1 - "The Pineapple Incident"
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| Via |
The each scene of the episode builds on the knowledge of the previous episode. We learn that Ted gets put to bed multiple times by his friends, each time, returning to the bar and shouting, "I'm back, babydolls!" Throughout the night he repeatedly calls Robin, he sings Cheap Trick to everyone in the bar, and talks about breaking into the zoo because, "I gotta see some penguins, like, right now!" (I can relate to this feeling.) Danica McKeller guest stars as Trudy, which is awesome, because WINNIE COOPER FTW!
This episode is just full of hilarious moments as Ted recreates what happened the night before. Easily my favorite episode ever.
And thus ends my love letter to How I Met Your Mother. Even the episodes that could be better are still good. I've grown to love the characters, and the actors for that matter, and I'm going to miss them! Thankfully the show is all kinds of syndicated, and our apartment has two nearly-complete sets of the series on DVD.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Fighting Sexism? Splendid!
At the beginning of the month, the American History Teachers' Collaborative held a focus workshop on the history of feminism in America. It was an amazing day, and we had phenomenal speakers. Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner gave a joint keynote address in the morning followed by historian Barbara Berg giving an afternoon keynote address.
I had the honor of going to dinner with Amy, Jennifer, and some teachers from the AHTC the night before the workshop, and they were just such lovely women. Their presentation the next day was wonderful and inspiring. They met while working for Gloria Steinem at Ms. Magazine. At the end of the day, Amy hugged me. This person who is amazing and important (and has undoubtedly hugged Gloria Steinem) hugged me! That basically means I've practically hugged Gloria Steinem.
Barbara Berg's keynote posed a couple of really interesting questions that got me thinking about my own life in terms of sexism and feminism. I have lived a relatively privileged life, but I've encountered sexism since I was a small child.
The first question that got me thinking was "When was the first time you encountered sexism or gender inequality?"
The first time I remember being on the receiving end of sexism was when I was probably 6 years old. My parents signed me up for instructional league baseball. In my hometown, there was no softball option for girls that young at the time, so those of us interested in playing either sport had to play baseball. There were probably 6 or 8 teams in my league. The league didn't have tryouts, but the coaches all got together to draft their teams. They tried to split the girls evenly among all the teams, but my team was "stuck" with two girls.
One of the main differences between instructional league and regular little league is that the parent coaches pitch to the batters. Otherwise, everyone would get walked, and games would take for-ev-er. As I stepped into the batter's box at my first game, my parents immediately noticed something different about how the coaches behaved. With my helmet on my head and my hands choked up probably too far on my 14oz aluminum bat, I waited for my first pitch. My coach took the baseball in his hand, rocked back and lobbed me an underhand pitch. After I made contact with the ball and ran to first base, one of my male teammates took his place at the plate. This time the coach sent an overhand pitch toward the batter. In fact, as we cycled through the next few batters in the lineup, they all hit overhand pitches. Then Karla, the other girl on my team came to the plate. Once again the coach lobbed an underhand pitch toward the plate. It was obvious at that point that she and I were being treated differently from the rest of the team.
After the game, my parents approached the coaches to discuss what they had just witnessed. The coaches tried to justify their behavior by saying that as girls we would eventually be playing softball and should get used to underhand pitching. While it's true that both Karla and I would go on to play softball in summer leagues and high school, that wasn't the point. We were being treated differently based solely on our sex. At 6 years old, there's not much of a difference in the strength, speed, or agility between the sexes. Hell, with our hair in ponytails and hidden under ball caps, you couldn't even tell that there were girls on the field! There was no need to treat the girls on the team any differently than the boys on the team. My parents assured the coaches that I was prepared to play the same game in the same way as my male teammates. After that my coaches pitched overhand to both of us for the remainder of the season.
Would I have been any less of a ballplayer if the coaches had continued to pitch underhand to me? Probably not. At 6 years old, in a league where everyone bats every inning, and no one is ever considered "out", it's not like I was destined to become the next great baseball player. The situation did illustrate that even at age 6, boys and girls are treated differently in athletics.
I'm grateful my parents saw the inequality and put an immediate stop to it. I was never raised to believe I couldn't do anything based solely on my sex, and I think this incident illustrated that for me. It made a mark on me at a very early age that my sex was not an excuse for anything.
Of course now that I've written about this event from when I was 6, I'm remembering that the real first time I remember encountering sexism was when I was 3 years old and in preschool. While playing outside on a particularly hot day, I remember the boys in my preschool class were allowed to take off their shirts. Since I was also hot and sweaty, I tried to take my shirt off as well. I was admonished by the teachers and told that it was only okay if the boys took off their shirts and not the girls.
Now, I developed early, but I can promise that I certainly did not have boobs at age 3. Had I taken my shirt off, there would have been no difference between my body and that of my male classmates. The teacher really should have adopted an all-or-nothing approach to the subject. Either everyone gets to remove their shirts or no one does.
So I guess that's really where it started for me. The more I think about it, the more stories from my own history I remember. I've got a great one from high school that involves Scholastic Bowl, the Assistant Principal, and No Doubt. Stay tuned for that.
What about you? Do you remember the first time you encountered sexism?
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| Via my Instagram |
I had the honor of going to dinner with Amy, Jennifer, and some teachers from the AHTC the night before the workshop, and they were just such lovely women. Their presentation the next day was wonderful and inspiring. They met while working for Gloria Steinem at Ms. Magazine. At the end of the day, Amy hugged me. This person who is amazing and important (and has undoubtedly hugged Gloria Steinem) hugged me! That basically means I've practically hugged Gloria Steinem.
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| Via my Instagram |
The first question that got me thinking was "When was the first time you encountered sexism or gender inequality?"
The first time I remember being on the receiving end of sexism was when I was probably 6 years old. My parents signed me up for instructional league baseball. In my hometown, there was no softball option for girls that young at the time, so those of us interested in playing either sport had to play baseball. There were probably 6 or 8 teams in my league. The league didn't have tryouts, but the coaches all got together to draft their teams. They tried to split the girls evenly among all the teams, but my team was "stuck" with two girls.
One of the main differences between instructional league and regular little league is that the parent coaches pitch to the batters. Otherwise, everyone would get walked, and games would take for-ev-er. As I stepped into the batter's box at my first game, my parents immediately noticed something different about how the coaches behaved. With my helmet on my head and my hands choked up probably too far on my 14oz aluminum bat, I waited for my first pitch. My coach took the baseball in his hand, rocked back and lobbed me an underhand pitch. After I made contact with the ball and ran to first base, one of my male teammates took his place at the plate. This time the coach sent an overhand pitch toward the batter. In fact, as we cycled through the next few batters in the lineup, they all hit overhand pitches. Then Karla, the other girl on my team came to the plate. Once again the coach lobbed an underhand pitch toward the plate. It was obvious at that point that she and I were being treated differently from the rest of the team.
After the game, my parents approached the coaches to discuss what they had just witnessed. The coaches tried to justify their behavior by saying that as girls we would eventually be playing softball and should get used to underhand pitching. While it's true that both Karla and I would go on to play softball in summer leagues and high school, that wasn't the point. We were being treated differently based solely on our sex. At 6 years old, there's not much of a difference in the strength, speed, or agility between the sexes. Hell, with our hair in ponytails and hidden under ball caps, you couldn't even tell that there were girls on the field! There was no need to treat the girls on the team any differently than the boys on the team. My parents assured the coaches that I was prepared to play the same game in the same way as my male teammates. After that my coaches pitched overhand to both of us for the remainder of the season.
Would I have been any less of a ballplayer if the coaches had continued to pitch underhand to me? Probably not. At 6 years old, in a league where everyone bats every inning, and no one is ever considered "out", it's not like I was destined to become the next great baseball player. The situation did illustrate that even at age 6, boys and girls are treated differently in athletics.
I'm grateful my parents saw the inequality and put an immediate stop to it. I was never raised to believe I couldn't do anything based solely on my sex, and I think this incident illustrated that for me. It made a mark on me at a very early age that my sex was not an excuse for anything.
Of course now that I've written about this event from when I was 6, I'm remembering that the real first time I remember encountering sexism was when I was 3 years old and in preschool. While playing outside on a particularly hot day, I remember the boys in my preschool class were allowed to take off their shirts. Since I was also hot and sweaty, I tried to take my shirt off as well. I was admonished by the teachers and told that it was only okay if the boys took off their shirts and not the girls.
Now, I developed early, but I can promise that I certainly did not have boobs at age 3. Had I taken my shirt off, there would have been no difference between my body and that of my male classmates. The teacher really should have adopted an all-or-nothing approach to the subject. Either everyone gets to remove their shirts or no one does.
So I guess that's really where it started for me. The more I think about it, the more stories from my own history I remember. I've got a great one from high school that involves Scholastic Bowl, the Assistant Principal, and No Doubt. Stay tuned for that.
What about you? Do you remember the first time you encountered sexism?
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Valentine's Memories? Splendid!
This is me acknowledging that I haven/t written anything in a month. This is me moving on.
So. A long, long time ago, I started hanging out with this boy right before winter break during my freshman year in college. We spent a lot of time messaging each other on AIM (nobody texted yet, and he didn't even get a cell phone till years later) and getting to know one another. I visited him during break, and he introduced me to his favorite movie, The Blues Brothers, which I had surprisingly never seen. We continued talking throughout break, and when I got back to campus for the spring semester, we made our relationship official. Ten years later, we just celebrated our anniversary with a trip to the Chicago Art Institute and a show at Second City.
Seeing as how this relationship was still very new at the time, this boy still felt the need to woo me on our first Valentine's Day. (For the record, he still tries to woo me every once in awhile!) He asked me the super obvious, but still sweet, question of what my ideal date would be. I answered him honestly:
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| Recreating a masterpiece at the Art Institute. Obviously. |
I kid! I kid! I told him it would be having Italian or Chinese food (my two favorite cuisines) for dinner and seeing Led Zeppelin (my favorite band) in concert in San Diego (my favorite city in the US).
Valentine's Day was on a Saturday that year, so we planned to celebrate on the actual holiday. My roommate and I went shopping and picked out a snazzy new outfit for me to wear - a pair of black pants with thin red pin-striping and a black wrap shirt with a red sparkly cami underneath. The idea was that I could wear the outfit again to events other than Valentine's dates. We went back to the dorm where I spent way too long trying to straighten and smooth my frizzy curls. I had no idea what the plan was for the evening, but I was ready for anything!
The landline (we still had those back then!) in our room rang as someone from the front desk called to tell me I had a visitor. He couldn't have picked me up at room, because I lived in an all-girls dorm, and my room was protected by no fewer than 4 secure doors, otherwise I'm sure he would have made the trip to my door.
As we drove off campus, he told me that unless we had wanted to eat dinner at 4pm or 10pm, all the nice Italian restaurants in town were booked, and he hadn't found a "fancy" Chinese restaurant in town, so he hoped I would be okay with Japanese food. I assured him that would be fine, and we pulled into one of our local Japanese restaurants.
I had only had teppanyaki (wah-cha-cha food, in my family - an onomatopoetic phrase to describe the sound of the chef cooking your food) once before, and I was excited to be seated at a teppan table that night. Of course since it was Valentine's Day, the restaurant was crowded. Teppan tables that usually sat 8 people were crammed with 12 patrons all expecting their dinner and a show. To our left sat a couple in their early to mid-thirties. They were married, and we later found out (read: overheard) that they had a couple kids at home with a babysitter who was charging them extra because it was Valentine's Day (rude). They started bickering long before we were seated next to them, and the close proximity of strangers who could hear every word of their conversation did nothing to deter them from picking at one another for the duration of the meal.
The couple to our left looked to be in their late teens/early twenties. They seemed pleasant enough... until it came time to order. Despite the fact that the guy had specifically requested they sit at a teppan table, neither partner felt compelled to order from the teppanyaki menu. He ordered chicken teriyaki, and she ordered shrimp tempura. Luckily I was still on my best behavior on this fancy date in this new relationship, otherwise eyes would have been rolling and sarcastic comments would have been stage whispered. Watching the chef prepare your food is a pretty entertaining part of the meal in a place like that, but when you order from the regular dinner menu and don't show an appropriate amount of love for the onion volcano, you need to rethink your restaurant selection. Despite the lackluster table neighbors, and our pathetic chopstick skillz (Yes, with a Z. Duh.), we managed to have a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our meal.
After dinner we headed to our next location, which was still unknown to me. He made a cute little joke that even though we were heading west, no part of our date was actually going to take place in San Diego, but we could pretend if I wanted. We ended up at Parkland College at the Staerkel Planetarium. The planetarium offers the typical star show fare, but until a couple years ago, they also did laser light shows. It just so happened that on that particular Valentine's Day, they were showing a Led Zeppelin laser light show! I was ridiculously thrilled about that. The planetarium also did Pink Floyd and The Who shows, but it seemed like fate that it happened to be Led Zeppelin on that night. It was so dorky and so silly and so perfect.
After that we went back to his place for dessert, where I found out he had made me brownies. No boy had ever baked for me before (and come to think of it, the only thing he's baked me since then was a loaf of bread), and it was sweet (pun intended). The whole night was so well planned and so thoughtful that to this day, I refer to it as the best date ever.
Since dinner out on our first Valentine's Day proved to be crowded and full of unpleasant people, we started a new tradition the next year. Now we take turns making each other a nice dinner. We eat it at the table instead of in front of the TV. There's often more than one course and definitely more than two food groups. There's music playing in the background. He usually sticks with simple food prepared well - he knows I'm a meat and potatoes kind of girl. Also, the year he made whole trout, I had to cover the head of mine with a napkin, because delicious as it was, I don't like being able to look my entree in the eye whilst I consume it. I usually get in a little bit over my head, and try to do something extravagant as evidenced by last year's meal.
Spending a cozy quiet Valentine's Day at home is perfect for us since we celebrate Christmas, our anniversary, Valentine's Day, and both of our birthdays in four consecutive months. We typically go somewhere fancier for our anniversary, when it's less likely that reservations will be so hard to book. This is one of our traditions that I really cherish, and I hope it's one that we continue for a long time. Though I won't argue with the man if he wants to take me to a Led Zeppelin reunion show or to San Diego for Valentine's Day in the future!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Favorites from 2013? Splendid!
I'm either a day early or a week late in this, but this is basically a list of all my obsessions from 2013. Here's to 2014 and a whole NEW list of obsessions!
Hair - Eufora Curl'N Defining Solution
Nails - Sally Hanson Nail Strips
I mentioned Sally Hanson Nail Strips in a post this fall when I talked about my first day working at the music store. I've used these multiple times this year, and I fully recommend them. They're simple to use, and they have surprisingly excellent staying power. The nail strips alone often last longer than a traditional varnish with base and top coat. My only complaint is that I wish there were more colors. I like the permanent designs, and they release limited edition designs for each season.
Hair - Eufora Curl'N Defining Solution
Changed. My. Life. Little known fact: I didn't know I had curly hair till well into high school, despite the fact that it stopped being straight sometime in 6th grade. Throughout middle school and high school, it was mostly just frizz (orange frizz in 7th grade thanks to my trusty bottle of Sun In!). My hair gets bigger and curlier in humidity, so imagine the mess I was trying to contain with my first flat iron that was a steam straightener.
Yeah. Not the best move for me. I continued to combat my curls through college, and only in the last few years have I really started embracing my hair as it really is. Everything changed when I started going to a great salon and seeing a stylist who specialized in curly hair. For the first time ever, I asked my stylist to keep my hair curly, and teach me how to style it myself, instead of having her straighten it. She used the Curl'N Defining Solution on my hair, and I immediately knew I needed it. It formed lovely, bouncy curls without frizz or the crunchiness that often accompanies gel or mousse. Never before one to spend a ton of money on hair products, I was shocked to find out that it cost more than my haircut. Luckily one can of the foam lasts for months and months. I don't claim to have great hair on the daily now, but this Eufora product is certainly the reason for fewer bad hair days.
Don't worry, each description won't be this long. I just needed to show you the ridiculous contraption I tortured my hair with in high school.
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| Source |
Makeup - BareMinerals Matte Foundation
I started wearing BareMinerals many years ago. Throughout this year I tried wearing a few different foundations, a foam and a liquid style, but I never really liked any of them. I ended up switching back to my old standby, but this time with a twist. I had only used the original formula till this year when I decided to give the matte formula a try. I was weary initially, so I started by mixing the two formulas together. I've found that the matte formula isn't too mattifying, but it does keep everything in check.
I love BareMinerals because it doesn't cause breakouts for me. I like that with the powder foundation, I can choose the level of coverage I wear on a given day. If I'm having a great skin day, I can easily just buff a little bit on and get on with my day. If I need fuller coverage, it just takes a few more swipes with my brush. It's great.
I started wearing BareMinerals many years ago. Throughout this year I tried wearing a few different foundations, a foam and a liquid style, but I never really liked any of them. I ended up switching back to my old standby, but this time with a twist. I had only used the original formula till this year when I decided to give the matte formula a try. I was weary initially, so I started by mixing the two formulas together. I've found that the matte formula isn't too mattifying, but it does keep everything in check.
I love BareMinerals because it doesn't cause breakouts for me. I like that with the powder foundation, I can choose the level of coverage I wear on a given day. If I'm having a great skin day, I can easily just buff a little bit on and get on with my day. If I need fuller coverage, it just takes a few more swipes with my brush. It's great.
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| Source |
Nails - Sally Hanson Nail Strips
I mentioned Sally Hanson Nail Strips in a post this fall when I talked about my first day working at the music store. I've used these multiple times this year, and I fully recommend them. They're simple to use, and they have surprisingly excellent staying power. The nail strips alone often last longer than a traditional varnish with base and top coat. My only complaint is that I wish there were more colors. I like the permanent designs, and they release limited edition designs for each season.
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| Source |
Skincare - Yes to Tomatoes
The Yes To line is a variety of products made from mostly natural ingredients. The Yes to Tomatoes line is specifically aimed at acne control. I've tried three products in this particular line: the blemish clearing facial wipes, the daily clarifying cleanser, and the clearing facial mask. While the wipes and cleanser are both great products, the standout to me was the mask. All of the products worked well together, and I definitely felt like they improved the condition of my skin.
The Yes To line is a variety of products made from mostly natural ingredients. The Yes to Tomatoes line is specifically aimed at acne control. I've tried three products in this particular line: the blemish clearing facial wipes, the daily clarifying cleanser, and the clearing facial mask. While the wipes and cleanser are both great products, the standout to me was the mask. All of the products worked well together, and I definitely felt like they improved the condition of my skin.
Kitchen/Food - Homemade Pasta
After deciding to make homemade pasta for our Valentine's dinner in 2013, I kind of became obsessed with it. Using my Kitchen Aid pasta rollers made the whole thing such a breeze that I found myself making fresh pasta on weeknights. When we made pasta growing up, we typically used white all-purpose flour, but to make things more authentic, I began using a combination of semolina and AP flour. The duo gave my pasta so much more flavor, and the final product was a delicious noodle. With the pasta water salted liberally, and the noodles boiled just to al dente, my fresh pasta was always flavorful and delicious. In 2014, I want to give spinach pasta a try, too!
After deciding to make homemade pasta for our Valentine's dinner in 2013, I kind of became obsessed with it. Using my Kitchen Aid pasta rollers made the whole thing such a breeze that I found myself making fresh pasta on weeknights. When we made pasta growing up, we typically used white all-purpose flour, but to make things more authentic, I began using a combination of semolina and AP flour. The duo gave my pasta so much more flavor, and the final product was a delicious noodle. With the pasta water salted liberally, and the noodles boiled just to al dente, my fresh pasta was always flavorful and delicious. In 2014, I want to give spinach pasta a try, too!
TV - Doctor Who
Last year I read a lot of books. This year I watched a lot of TV, and I'm not ashamed of it. Yes, I did still watch Real Housewives of New Jersey, but I started paying more attention to British shows (Downton Abbey, Sherlock) and Joss Whedon's work (Buffy, Firefly/Serenity). The standout for the year, though, absolutely was Doctor Who.
I started watching "New Who" right after Christmas. My brother has been suggesting it for a couple years now, and I always told him I didn't have time to start another series. I don't think he understood that I'm a hardcore binge watcher, and once I started the series, I wouldn't be able to stop till I consumed all. of. it. It became apparent to him the day after I started watching it, when I texted him my feelings on David Tennant's first episode as the Tenth Doctor, which happens at the beginning of the second season.
I had watched all of the new episodes by my birthday in Mid-March, and for my birthday LP Stacey started watching the series with me. Since then we've finished the series (again for me), watched the 50th Anniversary Special, and the 2013 Christmas Special.
To say I became obsessed would definitely be accurate and possibly even an understatement. Case in point? I was the Eleventh Doctor for Halloween this year.
Also, my phone's ringtone is an excerpt from the music played in the show.
And Scott bought me Dr. Who art for Christmas even though he had no idea the significance of the print in relation to the show.
Book - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The first time I read TFIOS, I read the entire thing in one sitting. I laughed; I cried; I had all the emotions. I immediately read all the other John Green books, even the novels he co-wrote, and I loved all of them. I always come back to The Fault in Our Stars, though. It sounds so depressing when I tell people it's a book about teen cancer patients who fall in love. I mean, it is a book about that, but it's so much more. It's beautiful and real and poetic, and no matter your gender or age, I think you need to read it. Just keep a box of tissues nearby. If you can finish the entire book without crying, then you should probably see a doctor, because it would appear you have no heart.
Furthermore, the book has become kind of a cultural phenomenon, at least within my communities. It was number one on the Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestsellers lists before the book was even released. More than 150,000 copies of the book were pre-orderd.
It's a beautiful and real and poetic story, and no matter your gender or age, I think you need to read it. Just keep a box of tissues nearby. If you can finish the entire book without crying, then you should probably see a doctor, because it would appear you have no heart.
Also, the film adaptation starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort is set to be released in June. I hope it does the book justice.
Music - "This Year" by the Mountain Goats
I had watched all of the new episodes by my birthday in Mid-March, and for my birthday LP Stacey started watching the series with me. Since then we've finished the series (again for me), watched the 50th Anniversary Special, and the 2013 Christmas Special.
To say I became obsessed would definitely be accurate and possibly even an understatement. Case in point? I was the Eleventh Doctor for Halloween this year.
And Scott bought me Dr. Who art for Christmas even though he had no idea the significance of the print in relation to the show.
Book - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The first time I read TFIOS, I read the entire thing in one sitting. I laughed; I cried; I had all the emotions. I immediately read all the other John Green books, even the novels he co-wrote, and I loved all of them. I always come back to The Fault in Our Stars, though. It sounds so depressing when I tell people it's a book about teen cancer patients who fall in love. I mean, it is a book about that, but it's so much more. It's beautiful and real and poetic, and no matter your gender or age, I think you need to read it. Just keep a box of tissues nearby. If you can finish the entire book without crying, then you should probably see a doctor, because it would appear you have no heart.
Furthermore, the book has become kind of a cultural phenomenon, at least within my communities. It was number one on the Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestsellers lists before the book was even released. More than 150,000 copies of the book were pre-orderd.
It's a beautiful and real and poetic story, and no matter your gender or age, I think you need to read it. Just keep a box of tissues nearby. If you can finish the entire book without crying, then you should probably see a doctor, because it would appear you have no heart.
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Music - "This Year" by the Mountain Goats
I was introduced to this band and this song while watching the Evening for Awesome concert on YouTube. I had just started watching Vlogbrothers videos, and I hadn't read any of John's books or listened to any of Hank's music yet. The video for the Evening for Awesome kept popping up in the recommended videos list on YouTube, so eventually I spent an entire evening watching it. John and Hank Green are huge fans of the Mountain Goats, so naturally they asked the band to perform at the show. They closed the entire evening by playing "This Year."
I was immediately struck by a line in the chorus, which I find to be both funny and sad: "I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me."
Last year was kind of a tough one for me. I ended up places physically, emotionally, and mentally that I never thought I would be. Places I never really want to be again. I believe I connected with the song on a deep level because of my situation at the time. When I had an hour-long commute this summer, I would usually end the drive with this song.
I was immediately struck by a line in the chorus, which I find to be both funny and sad: "I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me."
Last year was kind of a tough one for me. I ended up places physically, emotionally, and mentally that I never thought I would be. Places I never really want to be again. I believe I connected with the song on a deep level because of my situation at the time. When I had an hour-long commute this summer, I would usually end the drive with this song.
Movie - Much Ado About Nothing
Who would have guessed obsessions over both Doctor Who and Joss Whedon would have led to yet another obsession over Shakespeare?
After thoroughly enjoying the fourth season of Doctor Who and the chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate, I found out they did a production of Much Ado About Nothing in London's West End a couple years ago. The production was filmed, and through Digital Theatre, I was able to download it to watch till the cows came home. For Whovians it's pretty amusing to see Tennant and Tate take on the roles of reluctant lovers Benedick and Beatrice since their characters on Doctor Who were never the slightest bit attracted to one another.
Early in 2013 I found out that Joss Whedon was directing and producing a film adaptation of Much Ado. By that point I had already watched watched all of Firefly (all 1 season of it), Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog, as well as the first season of Angel and The Avengers. I was deep into the Whedonverse when I first heard about his adaptation. Joss Whedon is known for using the same actors throughout multiple projects, and I love them all. I figured watching the film would be kind of like watching a reunion. A reunion composed of Shakespearean English, but a reunion nonetheless. Set for limited release, I scoured the list of theaters with screenings in hopes of seeing it on the big screen. At the time of its initial release, there were only two theaters in the state that were set to screen it, and I made sure I could attend one of them. It was lovely and funny and everything I wanted it to be. I even mentioned it in this post. Thankfully I actually got a second chance to see it on the big screen when it came to The Art Theater in town a few weeks later.
Place - The Art Theater
We're lucky enough to have multiple theaters in town, including The Art Theater. It's great to have a place that shows indie films, has late night screenings of "classics" and basically does everything an independent movie theater should do in my opinion. I saw so many movies there this year, and I didn't even make it to all the films I wanted to see! Manager Austin McCann took over in 2012, and I think he is doing a great job. There's a great mix of genres, and they do interesting festivals and events with local groups. Also, they have a liquor license, so that's a bonus.
Who would have guessed obsessions over both Doctor Who and Joss Whedon would have led to yet another obsession over Shakespeare?
After thoroughly enjoying the fourth season of Doctor Who and the chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate, I found out they did a production of Much Ado About Nothing in London's West End a couple years ago. The production was filmed, and through Digital Theatre, I was able to download it to watch till the cows came home. For Whovians it's pretty amusing to see Tennant and Tate take on the roles of reluctant lovers Benedick and Beatrice since their characters on Doctor Who were never the slightest bit attracted to one another.
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Place - The Art Theater
We're lucky enough to have multiple theaters in town, including The Art Theater. It's great to have a place that shows indie films, has late night screenings of "classics" and basically does everything an independent movie theater should do in my opinion. I saw so many movies there this year, and I didn't even make it to all the films I wanted to see! Manager Austin McCann took over in 2012, and I think he is doing a great job. There's a great mix of genres, and they do interesting festivals and events with local groups. Also, they have a liquor license, so that's a bonus.
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