Slump

Sometimes I am so keyed up with anticipation that I'm left totally immobile save for a kind of involuntary buzzing. Work has been busy. Studying has begun. My birthday is this week. My sister is moving across the country. It's hard to take a step when my mind is going off in so many directions. On top of that, I started Donna Tartt's Goldfinch. Where is my strength? I wonder. Where is the energy for all of these lovely pursuits and better selves?

Meanwhile, I've pretty much watched this video more than 50 times since it was posted:

Peter

The husband and I will be watching the premiere of Doctor Who tomorrow. We've valiantly avoided to watch the episode on BBC America and I haven't looked at my Twitterfeed in the past 24 hours. David Tennant will always be "my doctor", but Matt Smith had a great run too.

Maureen Ryan had nice things to say about the episode and I'm excited about the reboot as, with the exception of the 50th anniversary special, the last batch of episodes have felt a little stale. Stephen Moffat will come through, I think. I hope.

My birthday is in a few weeks. A big one. Though I'm inclined to say that I'm okay with it and be sincere, sometimes I forget myself. I wonder if I could be at a different place. If I could be happier. If I could be less or more than I am. I'm going to watch Doctor Who tomorrow and try not to worry about it.

Bright

I wanted to write about Guardians of the Galaxy which I watched on Wednesday for the husband's birthday, but found that I didn't have a lot to say. I am so happy to see Chris Pratt, the movie star as I like him so much. The movie itself was funny and entertaining. I guess it just didn't give me cause for a whole lot of introspection, but it was fun.

I also watched the first episode of Outlander last week. It's hard to ignore Ron Moore and I admire Caitriona Balfe's Claire already. I don't get Starz so we'll see how into the show I get. My self-imposed summer break feels like it's coming to a close and I'm not sure how eager I am to get wrapped into a show once I go back to intense study mode.

I'm pathetically behind on my yearly goal to finish 50 books before the end of the year. But I'm in the middle of Alice Munro's Dear Life. I want to finish before I make up my mind. I just finished The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas. I was hoping for one thing and got something else. I wanted to be dazzled and touched. The peek into his thoughts were still good though.

Meanwhile, this song has been on my mind a lot lately:

24

In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close terms the 24^th of July is my “worst day”. Another one passed and I tried a different approach this year, namely indulging in Pie and Beer Day. My sweet husband left work early and made me a delicious pear gruyere pie as inspired by Pushing Daisies.

I also went to see Begin Again which I wished I would have liked more. The critique of the music industry was a little too preachy for me and it was hard not to wonder if John Carney was a little resentful over his Once success. Plus, Keira Knightley is a wonderful actress, but I wasn't entirely sold on her singing voice. Maybe the songs needn't have pushed me into making unfair Marketa Irglova comparisons?

The one bright spot of the movie was when, in a drunken pity party of two (with the amazing James Corden), Keira Knightley's character, Gretta writes a sad love song and leaves it on her ex's voicemail. In the last line, her voice catches and her pain is so clear. The sincerity and earnestness I was hoping to see throughout the movie is there in that one moment. The song is called "Like a Fool" and I encourage you to skip the movie and watch the clip on YouTube. Hmm, maybe that's too harsh? Maybe, wait until the movie's on Netflix? 

Fringe

I am bingeing hard on Fringe right now. I can't say why I never watched it when it was on the air, but given the lukewarm Alan Sepinwall reaction it's not too surprising. After the stress case I've been this first half of the year, I needed this show. John Noble's performance as Walter Bishop is so great as is his relationship with his son, Peter played by Joshua Jackson. It also feeds into my intense Pacey Witter crush of yesteryear. I would be remiss to exclude Anna Torv, as Olivia. She kicks trash, saves the day, saves herself, and saves the world.

I don't mind so much living in my small universe with the small group of people that I love and that love me. It doesn't feel so bad or absent or lacking in something more shiny. In short, it is the complete opposite feeling from the time I binge watched Battlestar Galactica and thought the universe was doomed and there was no point to life. I can't say that all this TV watching has helped my writing, nor do I know what I'll be occupying my time with once I finish these last few episodes of the series. I hope  I can hold on to this feeling that I'm okay for as long as I can.

Faults

I hadn't intended to, but I watched The Fault in Our Stars over the weekend. This was basically the superbowl of weepy teen movies. And I have always had a slippery hold on my emotions especially when showcased through the lens of cinematic introspection.

I went as a means of distraction and bawled my way through it. Hazel and Gus meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. They are sixteen and everything about their story seems so very short.

Along with the general weepiness, the ATX Festival had an Everwood reunion yesterday and I was immediately brought back to my favorite TV show. I'm pretty sure nostalgia will keep me from loving any other television show with the same fervor. Andy and Ephram Brown. A grieving husband who wants to love his two kids but never really tried before to even know them. His distance has made his son a stranger, but there's still hope. Still love. Man, creator Greg Berlanti can make me cry like no boy has ever done.

Trophy

Although it took me awhile to get into it (the title is inexplicably bad), I was sad to hear that Trophy Wife got cancelled. It was silly and corny and funny and sweet. All these weirdos seemed to genuinely care about it each other and the humor was ridiculously on point for me.

There are a lot of shows in the new TV season that I'm excited to give a chance, but this loss made me the saddest.

A Bit Touchy

On Saturday, my sisters and I went to our first Sundance screening of the year, Touchy Feely. Though we had loved last year's Your Sister's Sister, the movie was a disappointment. We did our usual movie breakdown/technical analysis of what we found lacking and then all of a sudden, we stopped. I forget who brought this up, but as a kind of pulling back the curtain we thought: Making a movie is hard. There are so many details that go into it, so many factors that can't be controlled. It's a marvel when a movie comes together at all. A miracle when it's brilliant or thoughtful or moving.

Touchy Feely is a film about two adult siblings. The sister (Abby), played by Rosemarie Dewitt and the brother, played by Josh Pais start out as polar opposites that then throughout the film switch roles in a sense. One is an uptight dentist whose favorite place in the whole world is the back office of his dental practice looking at x-rays of teeth. The other is a masseuse who has misgivings over moving in with her (initial) rebound cyclist boyfriend because doing so might "put her in a cage".

For reasons unknown, Abby develops an aversion to touch and she spends most of the movie slowly shutting down. While her brother finds a kind of awakening when his struggling practice picks up. He is, uncomfortably at first, lauded as a TMJ healer. The praise motivates him to study Reiki and his story was my favorite part of the film. The humor and discovery made Abby's story suffer in comparison. Have we learned nothing from season 2 of Everwood and Amy's bangs of sadness? Depression is a real and serious problem that effects millions of people, but it is generally boring on film.

Random side note: Abby's depression pajama bottoms are owned by my sister and she says you can buy them at Target on sale.

Also, Ellen Page has a storyline too. And she is MISERABLE. Or so her hair, bags under her eyes, and quavering voice would suggest.

I am going to try recapping all of the films I'll be seeing at Sundance, but with my softball criticism approach this year, I'll have to see how it goes.

XOXO

Pic from NY Trip

Why write a love letter to the show when the CW provided an hour long Gossip Girl love fest? Oh, well. Since I am highly impressionable, I have to thank the show for not only introducing me to serious retail envy with 'Alexa' Mulberry bags, Alexis Bittar cuffs, and Charlotte Olympia heels, but the literary and musical name checks too.

Would a casual fan read Anna Karenina, The Beautiful and Damned, The End of the Affair, Washington Square, The Petting Zoo, Bright Lights, Big City, The House of Mirth and The Secret History? Hmm, I didn't intend for that list to be so long. #don'tjudge

Also, Lana Del Rey, Gotye, Kimbra, James Vincent McMurrow, Sia, The xx, and, though I'm loathe to admit it, One Republic.

In short, I will miss Blair Waldorf smack talk, NJBC takedowns, Chuck's onesie, S&B catfights and makeups, GG in Paris, not all but the better part of Chuck and Blair shenanigans, and what I will miss most: NY Mag's weekly reality indexes.

I would've posted a video from my NY trip where I am standing a few blocks away from the Empire Hotel and my sister is shouting "look it's Gossip Girl, your one true love" at me, but said video also includes me tripping over a pothole. Next time, I guess. Anyway, you know you love me...

Not Yet

Source: cwtv.com via Riana on Pinterest

My husband has reassured me that I don't have whooping cough. This is a comfort as the whole-coughing-till-I-puke is getting kind of old. What's a persistent cough, when I have things to do! Two weeks until Christmas and I have no one checked off my list, four items of which are handmade knits. 19 books left to read on my "50 books read in 2013" goal. Did I mention the silly delusion I have of writing stuffs completed by the end of this month?

Also, I am hoping to be proven wrong next week that Nathaniel Archibald is not actually Gossip Girl. Yesterday's episode seems to be pointing to Dan, but oh, man. WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO OBSESS OVER WHEN THIS SHOW ENDS NEXT MONDAY? My real life? My above list? Frankly, I'll wait until next week to write my love letter to this silly, ridiculously awesome show, but today I'm listening to BoB "Ghost in the Machine" on repeat and dreaming of Paris.

Pond Swan Song

Thoughts and spoilers on last Saturday's Doctor Who and Pond farewell after the jump...

Upcoming

I seem to be in the middle of things lately. The last few weeks were crammed so much with work that I literally can't remember what I did when I got home each night besides sleeping and eating (presumably). Also, though I'm not sure how this pertains to anything, my hair is getting so long it's starting to get stuck on things. The last time this has happened I'm pretty sure I still had all of my baby teeth.

I might actually dress up for Halloween this year, I just need to convince the spouse of my zombie Bonnie and Clyde idea. He is 2% on board. I know this because he has paused for at least that long before saying 'no'. My sis is going for zombie Minnie Mouse. I'm pretty excited.

I watched Revolution yesterday. The idea of a world suddenly plunged into a blackout, no technology, no electricity makes me hopeful for the rest of the season. Plus Giancarlo Esposito is reason enough to give it a second watch. And Elizabeth Mitchell (I think?). I had to reassure the husband that Billy Burke was not Richard Dean Anderson, but he did a good job and the man is pretty convincing with a sword and dagger.

The weakest part of the episode was the younger cast. Charlie is supposed to be a Katniss-very-lite. I can only describe her on a Top-Model-appearing-on-Veronica-Mars scale with Naima being the very worst and Kim being the very best as a middlish Furonda. Home girl has little personality, but at least I never felt she suffered from a head injury. Poor, Naima.

Suspension

My internal lever has been a bit sticky lately so when I've tried to dispatch said lever, I haven't been getting a clear reading. This lever of course dispenses my suspension of disbelief. Dang its faultiness when I get the last episodes this year of Breaking Bad and the premiere of Doctor Who. Thoughts (and spoilers) after the jump.

Doctor

Doctor Who will be premiering its new season this weekend. It couldn't come at a better time since I have plowed through season 5 and 6 of Gilmore Girls and will not emotionally invest in season 7. True, I have Breaking Bad but the mid season finale is next week and then I'll have to wait until next year for its untimely demise. Waiting is hard. Waiting on television fairies is excruciating. Okay, it's not so bad when there are distractions. Distractions in the form of a real life, hobbies I've been neglecting, learning French, and my NY trip. Plus, if I don't want to be replicate the anxiety of last year, I should start knitting stuffs now for Christmas. Lots to do, and yet the couch looks so comfortable and all but the last season of Eureka is still on Netflix Watch Instantly.

Also, NPR's First Listen's are so great! Stars, Cat Power, Animal Collective, Divine Fits, Deerhoof. I've listened to only half of the selections so far, but I feel less neglectful.

Source: replicant.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

Eureka

 I couldn't quite make it to tomorrow when Hulu airs the series finale of Eureka. I caved and bought the episode over the weekend. I know, I know. My impulses are often ill timed and annoying. The show ended simply and sweetly. I left feeling both happy and sad, my favorite mix. Plus, Jo's hair has never looked better. When the husband asked how excited I was about the Mars rover, I said, "yeah, I've been marathoning Eureka". Then when he proceeded to explain the intricacies of the landing and the youtube videos he's been watching, I had to respond with a "yeah, I've been marathoning Eureka." I'm going to miss you, show.

Gossip Girl is going to be ending this season too and I wonder if I will have the fortitude to wait until the end and watch it in one long marathon. When my resolve grows weak, I can remind myself that I would've saved me some grief if I had done that with this past season. Hopefully, Blair's hair will be much happier this season. And hopefully, someone will straight up murder Dan's hair. I don't really want talk too much about the hideousness of it in case mere mentioning causes it to appear...wait...nope, false alarm.

Now that I've survived another Pioneer Day, I hope to be a little more focused, a little less all over. I have ambitious plans for the month of August. We'll see where I go...

So Bad

 Breaking Bad's new and final season airs next month and I can't wait!

(pic by Stanley Chow via mymodernmet.com)

Cool

Upfront

The TV schedule for this upcoming season has been announced over these past few days and I can't help but think how the show I was most excited to see last year was a supreme disappointment. I won't say what it was, but I'm trying to reign in my excitement until the shows actually air in the fall.

Who am I kidding? Mindy Kaling had me at "I'm Sandy Bullock!"

Marvel

I adored watching Avengers and the first episode of Sherlock. I could have cheated and watched the series in New Zealand, but infrequent wifi kept me honest. 

As I was on my girl power high (after coming on board the Black Widow/Irene Adler love train), I read an article from Entertainment Weekly asking if the premiere of Sherlock wasn't a bit sexist. Suddenly I wondered if my feminist spidey senses carried one fatal flaw. Let's call it, the Whedon syndrome. 

Geeking out to the marvelous prowess, the enumerable cleverness of Stephen Moffat and Joss Whedon himself could occasionally cloud gender biases, but then I don't think so. It's kind of like my views on colorblindness. A person's gender and race DOES make them different, but the differences add to our character not detract. 

What makes Black Widow and Irene Adler interesting to me is that they are clever. They're resourceful. They actively participate in the game without losing who they are as women. Moffat and Whedon portray both with such great skill. I'm excited to see more from both. 

 

Avenge

A couple nights ago, I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Once More with Feeling" as my husband puts it "to cheer you up from failing at knitting". Okay, he said it nicer than that, but that's the way it sounded. And of course, the jokers have to tempt me with "Tabula Rasa" right after...In other words, I am more than ready to get my Avengers on tomorrow!