7 Things

My sister nominated me for a Stylish Blogger Award. Stylish, I'm definitely not. But I'll follow her rules and tell you seven things you may not know about me.

1. I adore Taco Salad. I make it once a week and enjoy mixing taco seasonings from Old El Paso or my growing Penzy's Spice collection. Onion and garlic get mixed in and then come the staples of tomato, lettuce, salsa, and avocado (when in season). All on a bed of crisp tortilla chips. My roommate Sara used to marvel at how huge my plate was on these nights. I can take down some taco salad.

2. I'm starting to hate yard work. I can at times find it relaxing or numbing, but mostly it is a chore. Mowing the grass every weekend in the Summer and trying to keep up with edging, trimming, weeding, pruning, the Jones's next door... it's tiring. And my neighbor really does force me to keep up. Once, I was chatting with him about one of my side yard bushes and how I needed to trim it. And I said "I'm not sure what that bush is called." His response - "neglect."

3. I listen to melancholy and depressing music. It speaks to me. Bands that fit in this category are often British, like Muse, Depeche Mode, and Morcheeba. Although Muse can be energetic and inspiring, it's still moody - just the way I like it. Bubblegum pop is nice to sing along with in the car, but Aqualung or VAST bring me back to a place I feel more comfortable in.

4. Like my sister, I too have red-head envy. I only have touches of red in my hair - it's not enough. I hate being referred to as a blonde and would much rather be brunette or at least dirty blonde. But a deep auburn... that would be lovely. I already have the pale skin to go with it - just need a bit more of the pheomelanin pigment.

5. I personify the world around me. Equipment at my job is usually male. "He spit out a tape. He (my editing software) is being very picky today." And I talk to the flowers in my yard and encourage them to grow. "Come on little buddy."

6. I have some OCD issues. Nothing debilitating, but obsessive nonetheless. I also get weird about efficiency with normal everyday things like cleaning. I have to clean a certain way. Dusting first - so the dust falls and then I will vacuum and sweep it up. And when I put things away, I must collect all the pieces and then deliver them to the rooms in order down the hall - none of this going back and forth. It's not that bad really. Just a preference. I don't flog myself if I forget.

7. And obviously, I have an unhealthy obsession with TV. So much so, that lately, it can be the highlight of my day. If I'm bored at work or not enjoying whatever task I'm working on, I will realize that "Glee is on tonight", and suddenly be much happier knowing I have that to look forward to. This might say many things. Maybe I am unhappy with my job, maybe I need a life, maybe I'm a bit lonely and wish I had a family to go home to instead of my TV and cat... maybe, just maybe it means quality TV can enrich our lives... I think I'm stretching on that one.

Well, I did yard work yesterday, so now I'll go make taco salad in the proper order while listening to Muse and then watch Sunday evening programming on Jose (my TV). Just kidding, he doesn't really have a name.

Where to Start...

Hmmm...

Undercovers: I wrote that Undercovers may all depend on the chemistry between the two main characters. Well I found their chemistry to be easy and familiar banter; so I guess I'm saying - I like the chemistry. It reminded me of Moonlighting for some reason – wow that's an old reference.

Other observations - didn't the Leo character look like a young Walton Goggins or was that just me? Doing a vascular scan to identify a person in an opposing building isn't possible. The opening title sequence for the show is weak - maybe they'll get a lot of bad comments and have to change it. And boy does Undercovers feel like Alias in it's mission scenes.

And then there was the Michael Giacchino music. Not surprising with JJ’s involvement. But wait, it isn't his music. I looked it up and can't believe it isn't his music. They fooled me! Toward the end of the episode during one of these musical swells, we get the dialogue "how did we end up here? I think we never left." Wow did I immediately read into that and think that reminded me of Lost. I’m channeling a little bit of Entertainment Weekly’s Jeff Jensen and feel like it was a message from the Lost creators. I know, I know...

But do I have two shows competing to be the new Lost? Undercovers and The Event.

The Event:

The show starts with a disadvantage in that it has to introduce us to so many new characters. There's time-shifting going on - we’re in the present, then we're in the past and the past timing is different for each character. But despite that, the intrigue, the drama, the adrenaline started to present itself for me. And thank goodness that we get some sort of conclusion at the end of the first episode. I'm grateful that the show decided to tell us early on what to expect. Now we know that this is going to be a supernatural show, that multiple storylines will be followed, and that we're not gonna get all the answers right away. The Event is at least trying to set expectations. And as Dr. Butler (one of the marketing professors I work with) always says “you have to set expectations.”

Fall LineUp

Well, I wait for the Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Preview every year and it always comes a bit late. I only have a week to devour it before the main bulk of shows start.

My early take - there are only a few new shows I'm excited about. and that's a good thing. I really can't afford to take on too many new ones. So I'll tune into The Event and Hawaii 5-0. And although I'm sure I may look at a few others, those are the only two I hope work out.

I do not know what to do with Lone Star. Something about the premise of this show really bothers me. I guess it's the fact that he's juggling two women. We are trained to believe that behavior is bad, and yet this show is going to try and make us feel sympathy for this con-artist who has to live two lives. Oh, poor him. He will be a hard hero to root for. And although I really don't want to watch it, everything I'm reading says this is a standout show this season and well done. I think I'm going to try and resist. Maybe I'll finally buckle and get Netflix and start up on Mad Men or something.

One show I did start watching is CW's Nikita. I know, I know, CW has issues and the material is often frivolous and poorly done. But I'm a sucker for anything La Femme Nikita. And I actually thought the pilot of this show did a good job melding pieces of each of its previous incarnations. I saw pieces of the original movie, the American remake and Peta's lovely version in there. I wish it had a little more grit and the production was better. I can't tell if it has that feel because it was taped in Canada or the CW broadcast is just that bad. I'm thinking the latter.

Another one I'm not interested in thematically but hear great things about - Boardwalk Empire. I will give this one a shot - even though prohibition gangster stories are not my cup of moonshine, this does have Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, and Scorsese at the helm (at least initially). I know it WILL be gritty and well acted. Maybe it will feel like another Deadwood.

Get the DVRs warmed up. Happy watching everyone!