buttercup

Proof I am a girl: I just dropped $20 (my half of the $40 total) on the "LEGO Star Wars" game. BECAUSE IT'S CUTE, DAMN IT. And it's not a bad game play-wise, either. Here's a glowing review (plus screenshots) to prove it. Adorableness!

Come on, you know it's cute. And even Ben likes it because you can play all three episodes of the newest trilogy. Plus there's a Player Two drop in/drop out option, so we can play together. And then the baby can play when she's old enough for mayhem. Aww.

Okay, that's enough of that.

While I'm on the topic of geekdom, I will admit freely that I adore the classic "Star Trek" eps and used to watch them daily in the summer. When I was a kid, I mean. They'd come on in the middle of the day and I would use my hour of tv watching then, they were that good.

Yes, I also read the paperbacks and even got a hardcover from my ST-lovin' uncle for xmas one year. It was great, he had this huge shelf at the end of a hallway filled with ST (and other scifi, but I only read ST) paperbacks, and he'd let me borrow a new batch every time we went to his house. Good times. When TNG started up, my whole family would watch it together. I still have a TNG calendar from back then sitting in a box somewhere.

At some point, probably when I started going to public school, I broke up with "Star Trek" because I was already enough of a nerd what with the braininess and the second-hand-store clothes. (Maybe that's cool now, but it wasn't cool in eighth grade.) But today I will admit my dark secret: I want the ST boxed DVD set. And yes, I do watch the classic eps every now and then (thank you Dish!) and I will even dare to admit that I watch TNG eps once a month or so. (I don't think TNG has quite the kitsch factor of the classic, so that probly takes away some cool kid cred. I barely had any to start with, anyway.)

But I'm not sad that there are no "Star Trek" shows in production right now, because I got less and less interested in them with each reincarnation. I think I watched one ep of "Enterprise" and even that was too many, frankly.

There's really no point to this post, I was just wishing earlier that transporter technology actually existed, so I wouldn't have to make the long-ass drive to and from work or the twelve-hour drive to Alabama. (I think about this often, actually, but then my mind brings back repressed The Fly memories and I ick myself right out of that thought.)

psst . . . there's an "Angel" soundtrack out now! I had no clue! And it's got a Christophe Beck track on it, squee. Aww, and some Christian Kane and Andy Hallett singin', too. How did I not know about this? I guess it's time to start reading WHEDONesque weekly again.

You know what I love best about the Star Wars universe? The potential that it holds. It's the same reason I loved "Buffy" and it's the reason I stuck with it through all the seasons, even the crappy ones. The effing POTENTIAL was so heavy it almost took my breath away sometimes. It was disappointing when the potential wasn't reached, when the show went for the easy way out or did something that could have been so. much. better. but wasn't quite IT. Like the Buffy/Spike relationship. And do I need to talk about the MAGIC = CRACK hammer?

I'm so nostalgic for "Buffy" these days. I guess because I found the OMwF soundtrack in the car the other day. Sweet baby monkeys, I miss that show. I miss that potential being there, having that universe to play around in once a week.

I'm such a nerd.

On the sort-of-plus side, a lot of my favorite actors from "Buffy" and "Angel" have new projects going on. James Marsters has a CD out, Alyson Hannigan has a sitcom ("How I Met Your Mother"), Charisma Carpenter has a movie (Voodoo Moon), Christian Kane has a series ("Close to Home"), Nick Brendon and David Boreanaz each have a show, oh my god, there are so many of them, that's not even all. WHEDONesque's "Cast & Crew" page usually has all the most recent info, if you're interested. Even if I'm not interested in all of the projects, it's nice to know that the casts are still getting work.

I said I loved Episode III already, right? However, I am still willing to admit that it was not the most perfect movie in the universe. It's telling that our conversation exiting the theater was mostly about one of the most deliciously cheesy lines ever. Which I will not talk about because I don't want to be like that boy at the restaurant where we ate right before seeing the movie. That asscat. Not that I was all "no spoilers! I will surely perish if any whiff of movie happenings touches my delicate ears!" because duh, you know what's going to happen, but I was thisclose to being homefree and the boy talks about why Darth Vader needed the suit. Growl.

I got off-topic there. My topic was this: yes, there were problems with the movie. I like the way Sars broke them down best of all (obviously, there are spoilers there).

Still loving it though, because I am easy. And not very discerning. (And yet, even I knew better than to watch Episode II.)

I'm going to be updating later tonight with even more nonsubstantial stuff, but until then, I would like to assure the person who came here asking the burning question "Will ABC bring back cancelled "Blind Justice"?" that if there is true justice in the world, the answer is HELL NO.

I mean . . .uh, I am sorry for your loss. Maybe we can meet up and I can cry about "Joan of Arcadia" while you weep for "Blind Justice" since even Amy thinks I'm stupid for watching JoA. But then she wasn't a "Firefly" fan either. She does watch "One Tree Hill" so that redeems her a little.

(Don't worry kids, it's the end of the season so there won't be much more TV talk to be had.)

Yes, we saw Episode III last night. It was excellent, more than made up for the wasted ticket from Episode I, which was the only other one of the six I've seen in a theater. (I didn't like it, by the way.)

I loved it. I'm not fangirly about Star Wars, but I do appreciate the films and the universe they take place in, and I loved loved loved it as a Star Wars movie, and loved (x1) it as just a movie. It was even worth the crowd and having to listen to the teenager in front of us spout faux witticisms in a loud voice because he thought he was hilarious. It's okay, I used to be that kid sometimes, too.

I probably lose points for being more excited about the Narnia trailer than I was about the movie we were there to see. But god that movie looks good. I always think that based on the trailers, though, I do not have the gift of discernment. But I'm still going to drop my reservations about Disney butchering it and go for broke on this one. Everyone needs a little nerdy excitement in their lives. This will be my Star Wars. I should dress as the White Witch when I go to see it.

Excuse me while I go dig out my old boxed set of Narnia books.

for making your bathtub crayons so erasable. Rabbit apparently had a few minutes alone after her nap, before I noticed she was up, and our TV was colored an enchanting and cheery apple red.

Luckily the wet towel seemed to work. Of course I took pictures of this masterpiece for the album before rudely erasing it.

If I may be shallow for one minute (ha, only one!), I would like to do some TV talkin'.

First, I just heard that ABC is moving "Alias" to Thursdays at 8. What the hell? Why, ABC, why? Unless FOX is moving "The OC," this makes no sense. I mean, for me. Maybe the "Alias" fanbase and the "OC" fanbase don't cross over a lot, so good for them, but aargh. They should have moved it to 9 instead. I'd much rather watch "Alias" than the now-boring "CSI" (boring to me, please don't cry).

But in good news, they've kicked out "Blind Justice" aka that show that I almost forgot about. I watched it a few times, but it was just . . . blech. After he imagined his wife as one of the victims in a creepy-slash-goofy way, I gave up.

So here are my shows next year. I don't keep up with the cancellations/time-slot movements too much, so if two of 'em are in the same time slot, they will be placed in a tiny boxing ring and given small red gloves, and whoever emerges an hour later will be the victor. And if one of them is cancelled (I know JofA was on the verge), well, boo.

Sundays (all days are current schedule):
"Simpsons" * "Arrested Development" * "Law & Order: CI" * "Grey's Anatomy"
(I was so happy "Family Guy" came back but it just isn't doing it for me. not sure why. Ben still loves it, though. and "American Dad" . . . yeah, no.)

Mondays:
"Everwood" (SHUT. UP.) (even though Ephram has become hideous.)

Tuesdays:
"Gilmore Girls" * "One Tree Hill" OR "The Amazing Race" (if TAR's on, and only after the first third of the eps, after they narrow down the playing field a little)

Wednesdays:
"Lost" * "Alias" (now you see how ABC is screwing up my schedule? that was a great mini line-up.)

Thursdays:
"The OC" * "Without A Trace" (I'm forgiving the dream ep . . . for now.)

Fridays:
"Joan of Arcadia" (I can't believe "Third Watch" is gone! stupid TV execs.)

Saturdays:
"MAD TV" * "Saturday Night Live" (but only if they seem funny that night.)

So a dozen shows (not counting the Saturday maybes). Needless to say if something is going on in real life I don't watch ALL of them, but those are the ones I like enough to give time to if there's nothing else happening. And, of course, add football and "The Daily Show" where applicable. Even though with all the drama over in the Redskins camp right now, I'm not sure how football season will go.

For once you will not see "Law & Order" and the "SVU" version thereof on the list, because I can't stand the Dennis Farina "L&O" and the "SVU" plotlines are getting to me way too much now. I do love the "SVU" cast, though. But I need to take a break.

And you will notice that all the trash that everyone knows I watch, like "Real World" and Britney's upcoming delicious show, are not listed, but that's because I just read the TWOP recaps at work. Or if there are no TWOP recaps, I find them elsewhere. Because trash is a necessary and glorious part of life.

I love Pixelgirl Presents like ice cream.

Also, check out the needle felting kits at Sticky Wicket Crafts. The kits have EVERYTHING, even a nifty needle-y tool. And you can pick your own colors AND you can get enough wool fiber for another kit for under six bucks! I got my package yesterday and I think I'm in love. I have to finish that cross-stitch kit first, though.

Count me in one the One Good Bumblebee love.

And as always I'm enchanted by everything at Fishcakes Designs and am thinking I'm going to get the cuddle rats card for my mom's bday. Or maybe the elephants one.

I've already ordered her a necklace; it's hard to find one that's her style and within my budget, so I tend to buy them as soon as I find them if I can. Last year I bought her a crafty ass chick creation that she loves so much she wears it almost every day, but none of the ones up there really fit her colors/style right now. But there is some very pretty stuff there! My mom's just incredibly hard to shop for.

You know that SNL skit with the guy who says "OH NOOOO!" when he answers the phone, and pretty much the rest of the time, too? That is Rabbit. She's started saying it every time I turn around now, like "oooh noooo! toothbrush! ooooh noooo! ravioli!" It really doesn't make sense.

Her other favorite exclamatory word is "wow!" so I guess it all balances out. (She got extra bonus points for saying, "oh, wow!" when I put her birdie mobile up above her bed.)

My mom's neighbor just called and said she found the mailbox-killer note: "I guess one of my kids must have found it on the door" which means kids are not reliable messengers, I guess. Or else they gave it to their dad and he forgot about it, which sounds a lot like my dad, so I guess it's feasible. I would think the kids would have mentioned it, though, because after I gave the boy the note, he and his sister gathered around the mailbox to stare at it like I said I left some baby kittens inside to give it back some of the vitality I so wrongfully stole from it.

Anyway, she said she would have never noticed it was hit and thanked me for my honesty. So I guess that means I don't have to replace it? I'm not sure. She sounded nice enough, so I guess that's what she meant.

I almost forgot to squeal about "The Amazing Race" last night. Squee!, etc. I was talking to the tv the entire second half; I was so happy Uchenna and Joyce won. Rob and Amber would have been okay, but they don't really need another million, do they? (Apparently they think they do, judging by the whoring out of their wedding, but that's not really the point.) I think the moment when they won is one of my favorite good moments from any reality show. Aww, I almost cried.

My favorite bad reality tv moments mostly come from TAR, too: like the broken ox scene, the "you were a POW because you can't commit" scene.

Anyway, the TAR finale made up for another crappy Daniel Palladino-written "Gilmore Girls." Come on, a pregnancy scare that lasts two minutes? Sookie deciding for Jackson about getting snipped without any discussion whatsoever? Rory turning to a life of crime because she just can't handle constructive criticism? WHATEVER. I was talking to Amy about the episode last night and she told me about the Luke/Kirk battle, which I sadly missed. Or maybe not so sadly, since Kirk ends up being an asshole. We also debated who could be proposing next week. I hope Rory runs off with Logan and gets married in Vegas, that would kick ass. It would be totally out of character for her, but that wouldn't be anything new, so go with it.

/tv geekiness

Not much of interest to talk about. It's too hot in here for me to even think these days. Or clean. Or cook, which is good since the element in the stove still isn't fixed. Stovetop cooking isn't that bad, just a little boring. Some stuff can go in the toaster oven, but our toaster oven is so small that it's a limited option. Anyway it's too hot to use an oven. BUT! We just got good news -- we'll probably be getting an a/c unit (to replace the one that was stolen) within the next week. For dirt cheap, too, since it was a vandalized unit that Ben's going to repair. It's grrrrreat! Seriously, it's the best news I've had all month, because we were going to have to take out a loan to get a new one, since all our dinero has to go to the most expensive vacation ever in July. So call it fate, god, luck, whatever -- it's really great news.

Other tidbits, we all know how fantastic lists are, right? RIGHT? Here you go:

* our tax refund gave me the cash to get a Shuffle! which is good because I can't stand carrying a CD player while I walk, and the one I have skips every time my feet hit the ground. the Shuffle is the first newish technology I've bought since . . . hmm, we bought a DVD player three years ago, I suppose that counts. oh, the digital camera! that's the most recent one, that was a year ago. I love new technology but it's often not worth what the Man charges for it for me. picture phone? I have a digital camera, I have a cell phone, I'll make do with those. it's not that I don't love the technology, it just doesn't feel like something I need, you know? but the Shuffle can be used for storing files, too, so I can use it for work as well, which makes it seem like a pretty thrifty deal.

* I found a cross-eyed tiny ceramic deer at Goodwill Sunday. I'm debating whether to repaint the eyes. it's so creepy, but I feel like I would be betraying its cross-eyed spirit if I altered it.

* my sister Jinx graduates in a couple of weeks, and I don't have an easel set up yet, so her painting will be delayed. however, I'm going to cross-stitch her one of Subversive Cross Stitch's "whatever" designs. I'm not sure how it'll go over. my mom will probly say something about, "why do you always have to be sarcastic?" but I think Jinx will like it. I think. ha, I hope, because I don't have a back-up plan.

* for my dad's birthday Ben and I are getting him Star Wars tickets for my mom, him, me, and Ben to go see it together. do you know when his birthday is? MAY NINETEENTH. is that not insane? I'm going to wait to get them for Friday night, but I think they'll still probly be sold out. I'm crossing my fingers. I may have Ben go to the theater during his lunch break to try to get them. do they sell them that early? hmmm. I should call, but really, where's the fun in that?

* we joined Netflix. see what I mean about getting to new technology late? and really the only reason I signed up is because Ben wanted to see Episode I and Episode II and I didn't feel like paying for the DVDs since I couldn't stand the first one and have no desire to see the second (but I want to see the third!). and we gave up on Hollywood Video et al a loooong time ago. so Netflix. a good excuse to rent "Joan of Arcadia" DVDs (do any of my peers even WATCH that show?) and stuff like Ed Wood and Closer, that I wouldn't want to buy but have wanted to watch for a while. ooh, and "21 Jump Street," which I keep forgetting to add.

* I need to find some pants that fit. I have one long denim skirt that I wear pretty much every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to work, like jeans. I wash it of course, stop the "eew"-ing. no jeans fit me right; I have to keep pulling them up which looks stupid. and I have one pair of pants that fit okay but are too short and make me look like Stumpy the Smurf. I could wear skirts every day, but I like to walk during my lunch break and don't want to spend the entire time trying to keep my skirt from doing a Marilyn Monroe.

* total mailboxes destroyed by me and the lovely behemoth van so far: two. I hit another one this afternoon, backing up. see, there were some gravel trucks blocking the road on the way to my mom's house, so I had to go a different way, and that meant backing up in a direction I'm not used to. and when we lived there, the people across the road hadn't moved in yet, so there was no mailbox. yeah, you see where this is going. there was a kid riding his bike around in the yard, so I went up to him and was all, "I hit your mailbox, is one of your parents home?" and he said his dad would be there in a few minutes. I was already running way late so I just left my number with a note saying I'd replace it if they wanted, and I thought for sure they'd call back, since it's a pretty new mailbox, but they haven't yet. I didn't damage it too badly, it still opens and closes okay, but you can see a dent at the bottom. I cannot believe that. two mailboxes in six months. but the first mailbox-killing victims didn't call me either. maybe they think I will come back to wreak more mailbox vengeance if they do.

* those seedlings I was so excited about? most of them are dead now. I KNEW I could do it! it seems to be an overwatering thing, I think I got too zealous when I noticed they were drying out a few weeks ago. for some reason the tomato seedling seem to be thriving, though, and I thought they were more delicate. oh, and the tomato plant we got at the farmers' market has tomato babies! I keep thinking we should eat them before I destroy that plant, too.

* speaking of tomatoes, Rabbit has a new habit (poetry!): we keep our farmers' market tomatoes (produce, not the plant) on the counter so we can snack on them easily. she has taken to climbing on a box or standing on her tiptoes to reach them, and taking one bite out of each tomato, then putting them back on the counter. what a strange child we have.

That's a long enough list. If you made it through that you get a cookie! Or an ice cream sandwich. Or a margarita granita, your choice.

(I'd choose d.) all of the above.)

I really should have just waited and put this all in one post, eh? I'm just so excited, and this makes me feel kind of like an adult. Here's the end of it, I promise: this week also brought my cards and postcard by Susie and my notecards by Nikki McClure (from Stella Marrs). Eeeexcellent.

And here's a dark and blurry pic of all the pretty artwork (including some yarn by misshawklet):



Now I just have to figure out the framing. I should wait until we get the house repainted (right now the walls are old 1985 country-style dusky-rose-and-blue-themed paneling), but I don't know if I can wait. It's not like anything else in the house matches, anyway.

I almost forgot (almost, but not quite) that I said I would list the prints I bought as they came in. It took a little while but they're all here, and they're all so pretty.

Yesterday, I received my prints from Tiny Showcase. They were packaged very nicely and the prints are great quality-wise (and of course, prettiness-wise as well), PLUS there was a cute little note and sketch about my town's name on the invoice, and I'm a whore for personalized notes on invoices. The two prints I've purchased from them so far are these: "El Sismo" by Howell Golson and "the lakefront" by Susie Ghahremani (of boygirlparty.com). I say "so far" because if it's still there Saturday, I'm planning on getting "untitled" by Jen Corace as well! I'm big on mama/baby imagery right now and . . . elephants! and . . . Jen Corace! So many good things. Anyway, I really love Tiny Showcase.

And Tuesday I found a print from Stella at momomoogie.com in my mailbox! I can't direct-link it, but if you go into her "work" section and pull up artwork #11, that's the one I picked. It's "i'll keep you warm..." and it's so pretty, it's even prettier in real life (maybe because now it's mine all mine?). It was so hard to pick just one piece, but "i'll keep you warm..." was the first piece of her art I ever saw (on copacetique.com) and I loved it so much I couldn't help but pick it in the end. But Stella will send you a print of pretty much any of her artwork, just e-mail her and she will give you the purchasing details (she's so nice, too!). Plus her patches are great!

Those two were my favorite arty purchases to date, mostly because of the super-niceness of the senders. I've received a few others, too, that are also fantastic, but I'll have to wait to list them later because Rabbit just finished her spaghetti and the only thing that will get THAT nuclear mess off is a bath.

Finished the mobile, it's over in the crafty blog. Here's a sneeeeeaky peek:



That's the birdie that's the centerpiece. The pic I have up in the blog of the finished mobile doesn't really do it justice, I couldn't get a good angle without losing all my daylight.

I also made a little dino, that pic's in the crafty blog too. But here it is again because I love it so much:



And Rabbit loves it too, luckily.

Pretty much my entire weekend can be summed up in that crafty blog entry. I was up until five o'clock this morning working on the felt stuffies. So I slept until noon and now I should probably go clean the house. While watching Fox's "Animation Domination," hee. That's so goofy.