We all know I watch way too much TV. Especially the kind that errs on the side of a sci-fi nerdgasm. But this year I’ve been out of the TV loop. After years of dictating my evening schedule based on what was waiting for me on my DVR, we’ve gotten rid of cable (similar to the old days at our cottage where we lived on Netflix and ramen), and I don’t have a set line up waiting for me when I sit down in the front of the TV. To make matters worse (better?) I have been working quite a bit at night, getting my freelance on, so I don’t have as much time to invest in my programs. Yes, I realize I sound like your grandmother. No, I don’t care.
Anyway, here are my top shows that have (so far) made it through my rigorous vetting, which basically means, here are the shows that have somehow held my attention through the current chaos that is my life:
Fringe
It’s this crazy sci-fi series’ last season, and with only 13 episodes, it’s my duty to watch them all. I have loved this show from the start, it’s a great combination of sci-fi nerd stuff with cheesy true love stuff. Not only that, but it’s packed with action, comedy, drama, you name it. I’m floored that no one on this show has at least been nominated for an Emmy, they’re all so amazing. Also, Joshua Jackson, you are my spirit animal. I mean, I loved him from Mighty Ducks through Dawson’s Creek, and now, I adore him as Peter Bishop. Plus, he can wear a mean peacoat.
Parks and Recreation / The Office / 30 Rock
Every time I try to quit the NBC comedy block, I’m sucked back in. Both 30 Rock and The Office are ending after this year, and so far, their final seasons have been pretty awesome. Parks and Rec is always equal parts hilarious and heart warming, and let’s face it, I’d watch Amy Poehler alphabetize her water bills and still find myself laughing my ass off.
Homeland
I’m sort of faking it with this one, since I’m actually catching up via a DVD of last year’s season (and while I’m on the subject, could someone please find a way to get the premium channels online PLEASE), but this show is fantastic. Plus, I have a soft spot for Claire Danes, who everyone in my high school thought I looked like. I think it was because it was during the “My So Called Life” years and I wore an abundance of flannel and angst.
New Girl
Oh Zooey, I’m definitely not over you. It’s the second season of New Girl, and I’m still finding this show equal parts charming and hilarious. A total win.
The Mindy Project
I’ve been a fan of Mindy Kaling ever since I started reading her (now defunct) blog “Things I’ve Bought That I Love” and her new show is totally an extension of her awesome. I love when I see so many funny women in comedy (Tina Fey, Zooey DeChanel and now Mindy) who can lead a cast like a boss.
Castle
I know, this is a horrible one. But Nathan Fillion is another sci-fi actor (Remember Firefly!? Or Dr. Horrible!?) that I have to support based on principle. In the last season the two lead characters on this show finally got together, so I’m hoping the whole thing doesn’t implode. So far, so good…
NCIS
I wanted to leave this one out because pretty much everyone on the planet has made fun of my love for this show, but this blog shall not be based on LIES! I have no nerdy, sci-fi connection to excuse my love for NCIS…I just love it. Mark Harmon is a silver fox, and I can’t get enough of the whole Tony/Ziva love mystery. So help me, CBS has won this battle.
Hart of Dixie
This show was a sleeper last year, but it definitely won me over. It’s like Gilmore Girls meets Summer Roberts from The O.C….which is pretty much a recipe for my favorite show ever. Rachel Bilson is really funny (who knew?) and there are many shots of good looking guys without shirts. I’m a fan.
The Vampire Diaries
This show hasn’t started yet (the premiere is tomorrow night!), but it is by far my favorite of all the vampire shows/movies that have come out in the past few years. This one always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat, even though I’ve read the books on which the show is based, so I sort of know what should happen next. I know tons of people who’ve let TVD slip off their radar, and they are missing out.
Here are the shows that were previously on my schedule, but I’ve slowly fallen off the wagon:
Glee
I want to love you, Glee, but I feel like I’ve given you a million chances and you keep being awful.
Once Upon a Time
I loved this show’s first season, but this year’s premiere left me cold. I’m hoping a few episodes in they’ll hit their stride again.
Revenge
Oh, Revenge…you were made for me. You with your random scandalous murders and mysterious intrigue. But so far I haven’t had the time (or desire, really) to watch the season premiere. Let’s face it, that’s not a good sign…
What shows are you loving this season? Anything I’m missing out on?
(P.S. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about my UK favorites Doctor Who and Downton Abbey. Since I’m all online now, I can’t watch these until later this year. But I shall, oh I SHALL!)
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-10-10 07:00:222012-10-10 08:14:38TV Showdown - My Top Picks (so far...)
There isn’t really anything on Earth that makes me more uncomfortable than talking about money. I mean, I suppose I also hate watching people kiss in movies, but talking about money would be at least third on my list of things I’d like to avoid forever and ever, amen. I grew up in a family where we had money, but I didn’t know it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Trump or anything, but my dad was the head of a prestigious department at the local university and later became dean, so we did pretty okay. Both of my parents came from urban, working class (under the poverty line) backgrounds, and for them, money was something that was never discussed. I was raised thinking we had just enough to get by, but at the same time, I always had great computers, access to wonderful extra curriculars (space camp ain’t cheap, y’all) and logically I knew that we had more than what I assumed. The result was I never asked questions about money and was pretty much always freaked out about not having enough. In college I spent nights crying in my bed because my car broke down or a class required an extra-expensive book, even though I knew my parents would bail me out if I needed it. I paid for much of my own education via scholarships and part time jobs, and although I was really proud of this fact, I never really understood what it meant.
On top of all of this, I realized early on that I was super uninterested in math, so I refused almost all business or economics courses in school. My first few years out of college I spent living paycheck to paycheck, while paying off student loans. I was lucky enough to get out of debt about a year after Trent and I got married, but after that, I completely checked out when it came to the financial discussion. We had a baby, I worked full time, Trent was starting a business, and the whole thing overwhelmed me. So I told Trent he was in charge of financial stuff, everything from paying bills to saving for the kids’ college. I removed myself from the conversation, because when I was in it, I was a freak of nature. I would panic over having no money, or bitch about wanting to spend more since I was working so hard every day. I was the worst.
In the past six years, we have gone from a two income household, to one income/one stay at home parent, to two working parents with one income / one new business / one kid in expensive daycare, to two kids and two incomes that almost double what we made six years ago. That’s a pretty intense financial ride, and I have ignored every bit of it. But I can’t do it anymore.
I want to move forward with my life professionally, and that means possibly taking a big financial hit. Trent basically (and rightfully) told me if I want to do something new with my life, I need to look at our financial situation and assess where I can save and what we can cut. So a few weeks back, for the first time in years, I sat down with a glass of wine and our Mint.com account to see where we are. At first I was terrified, overwhelmed and on the verge of a panic attack. But after a few days, I found myself feeling more confident. I made pie charts and graphs and started working on both a personal and business financial plan. I couldn’t have surprised myself more!
I’m still not there yet. I still have so much money noise, and it’s been built up for thirty years, so I know it’s going to take a lot of work. But for the first time, I’m willing to do that work. I want to be a part of the conversation. And for me, that’s a really big deal.
Onward!
(Photo above by Trent, who likes to take pictures of me when I’m not paying attention. They’re my favorites.)
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-10-09 07:00:372012-10-07 20:45:46Finding My Path - Part 7: The Financial Blues
I’m in the midst of reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (I couldn’t recommend this book enough, people. Pick it up, now!) and in one of her chapters she quotes the famous Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, who said, “I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” Those words have been haunting me since I read them, in a good way. Like if Casper showed up at your house and offered you a chocolate cake. I am sick of other people’s actions and choices determining who I am and what I think of myself. I’m so tired of feeling out of control of my own life. So here it is. “I am who I choose to become.” The rest of the world can suck it.
To remind myself of this fact, I made the above my desktop image. Every time I fire up my computer, ready to get to work, the above image is what I see. It gets me ready to go, ready to take on the world, and ready to mow down anyone who tells me I can’t do it!
In case you’re needing some similar motivation, I’ve made the image above downloadable for you all to use on your desktop of choice! To download, click here and then right click and save the image to your computer. I hope you enjoy and find yourself inspired. Happy Monday!
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-10-08 07:00:202012-10-08 11:11:19It's Really All About Choice
TV Showdown – My Top Picks (so far…)
/1 Comment/in Fun /by MeganWe all know I watch way too much TV. Especially the kind that errs on the side of a sci-fi nerdgasm. But this year I’ve been out of the TV loop. After years of dictating my evening schedule based on what was waiting for me on my DVR, we’ve gotten rid of cable (similar to the old days at our cottage where we lived on Netflix and ramen), and I don’t have a set line up waiting for me when I sit down in the front of the TV. To make matters worse (better?) I have been working quite a bit at night, getting my freelance on, so I don’t have as much time to invest in my programs. Yes, I realize I sound like your grandmother. No, I don’t care.
Anyway, here are my top shows that have (so far) made it through my rigorous vetting, which basically means, here are the shows that have somehow held my attention through the current chaos that is my life:
Fringe
It’s this crazy sci-fi series’ last season, and with only 13 episodes, it’s my duty to watch them all. I have loved this show from the start, it’s a great combination of sci-fi nerd stuff with cheesy true love stuff. Not only that, but it’s packed with action, comedy, drama, you name it. I’m floored that no one on this show has at least been nominated for an Emmy, they’re all so amazing. Also, Joshua Jackson, you are my spirit animal. I mean, I loved him from Mighty Ducks through Dawson’s Creek, and now, I adore him as Peter Bishop. Plus, he can wear a mean peacoat.
Parks and Recreation / The Office / 30 Rock
Every time I try to quit the NBC comedy block, I’m sucked back in. Both 30 Rock and The Office are ending after this year, and so far, their final seasons have been pretty awesome. Parks and Rec is always equal parts hilarious and heart warming, and let’s face it, I’d watch Amy Poehler alphabetize her water bills and still find myself laughing my ass off.
Homeland
I’m sort of faking it with this one, since I’m actually catching up via a DVD of last year’s season (and while I’m on the subject, could someone please find a way to get the premium channels online PLEASE), but this show is fantastic. Plus, I have a soft spot for Claire Danes, who everyone in my high school thought I looked like. I think it was because it was during the “My So Called Life” years and I wore an abundance of flannel and angst.
New Girl
Oh Zooey, I’m definitely not over you. It’s the second season of New Girl, and I’m still finding this show equal parts charming and hilarious. A total win.
The Mindy Project
I’ve been a fan of Mindy Kaling ever since I started reading her (now defunct) blog “Things I’ve Bought That I Love” and her new show is totally an extension of her awesome. I love when I see so many funny women in comedy (Tina Fey, Zooey DeChanel and now Mindy) who can lead a cast like a boss.
Castle
I know, this is a horrible one. But Nathan Fillion is another sci-fi actor (Remember Firefly!? Or Dr. Horrible!?) that I have to support based on principle. In the last season the two lead characters on this show finally got together, so I’m hoping the whole thing doesn’t implode. So far, so good…
NCIS
I wanted to leave this one out because pretty much everyone on the planet has made fun of my love for this show, but this blog shall not be based on LIES! I have no nerdy, sci-fi connection to excuse my love for NCIS…I just love it. Mark Harmon is a silver fox, and I can’t get enough of the whole Tony/Ziva love mystery. So help me, CBS has won this battle.
Hart of Dixie
This show was a sleeper last year, but it definitely won me over. It’s like Gilmore Girls meets Summer Roberts from The O.C….which is pretty much a recipe for my favorite show ever. Rachel Bilson is really funny (who knew?) and there are many shots of good looking guys without shirts. I’m a fan.
The Vampire Diaries
This show hasn’t started yet (the premiere is tomorrow night!), but it is by far my favorite of all the vampire shows/movies that have come out in the past few years. This one always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat, even though I’ve read the books on which the show is based, so I sort of know what should happen next. I know tons of people who’ve let TVD slip off their radar, and they are missing out.
Here are the shows that were previously on my schedule, but I’ve slowly fallen off the wagon:
Glee
I want to love you, Glee, but I feel like I’ve given you a million chances and you keep being awful.
Once Upon a Time
I loved this show’s first season, but this year’s premiere left me cold. I’m hoping a few episodes in they’ll hit their stride again.
Revenge
Oh, Revenge…you were made for me. You with your random scandalous murders and mysterious intrigue. But so far I haven’t had the time (or desire, really) to watch the season premiere. Let’s face it, that’s not a good sign…
What shows are you loving this season? Anything I’m missing out on?
(P.S. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about my UK favorites Doctor Who and Downton Abbey. Since I’m all online now, I can’t watch these until later this year. But I shall, oh I SHALL!)
Finding My Path – Part 7: The Financial Blues
/3 Comments/in Finding My Path /by MeganThere isn’t really anything on Earth that makes me more uncomfortable than talking about money. I mean, I suppose I also hate watching people kiss in movies, but talking about money would be at least third on my list of things I’d like to avoid forever and ever, amen. I grew up in a family where we had money, but I didn’t know it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Trump or anything, but my dad was the head of a prestigious department at the local university and later became dean, so we did pretty okay. Both of my parents came from urban, working class (under the poverty line) backgrounds, and for them, money was something that was never discussed. I was raised thinking we had just enough to get by, but at the same time, I always had great computers, access to wonderful extra curriculars (space camp ain’t cheap, y’all) and logically I knew that we had more than what I assumed. The result was I never asked questions about money and was pretty much always freaked out about not having enough. In college I spent nights crying in my bed because my car broke down or a class required an extra-expensive book, even though I knew my parents would bail me out if I needed it. I paid for much of my own education via scholarships and part time jobs, and although I was really proud of this fact, I never really understood what it meant.
On top of all of this, I realized early on that I was super uninterested in math, so I refused almost all business or economics courses in school. My first few years out of college I spent living paycheck to paycheck, while paying off student loans. I was lucky enough to get out of debt about a year after Trent and I got married, but after that, I completely checked out when it came to the financial discussion. We had a baby, I worked full time, Trent was starting a business, and the whole thing overwhelmed me. So I told Trent he was in charge of financial stuff, everything from paying bills to saving for the kids’ college. I removed myself from the conversation, because when I was in it, I was a freak of nature. I would panic over having no money, or bitch about wanting to spend more since I was working so hard every day. I was the worst.
In the past six years, we have gone from a two income household, to one income/one stay at home parent, to two working parents with one income / one new business / one kid in expensive daycare, to two kids and two incomes that almost double what we made six years ago. That’s a pretty intense financial ride, and I have ignored every bit of it. But I can’t do it anymore.
I want to move forward with my life professionally, and that means possibly taking a big financial hit. Trent basically (and rightfully) told me if I want to do something new with my life, I need to look at our financial situation and assess where I can save and what we can cut. So a few weeks back, for the first time in years, I sat down with a glass of wine and our Mint.com account to see where we are. At first I was terrified, overwhelmed and on the verge of a panic attack. But after a few days, I found myself feeling more confident. I made pie charts and graphs and started working on both a personal and business financial plan. I couldn’t have surprised myself more!
I’m still not there yet. I still have so much money noise, and it’s been built up for thirty years, so I know it’s going to take a lot of work. But for the first time, I’m willing to do that work. I want to be a part of the conversation. And for me, that’s a really big deal.
Onward!
(Photo above by Trent, who likes to take pictures of me when I’m not paying attention. They’re my favorites.)
It’s Really All About Choice
/4 Comments/in Finding My Path, Grumples, Happiness, Work /by MeganI’m in the midst of reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (I couldn’t recommend this book enough, people. Pick it up, now!) and in one of her chapters she quotes the famous Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, who said, “I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” Those words have been haunting me since I read them, in a good way. Like if Casper showed up at your house and offered you a chocolate cake. I am sick of other people’s actions and choices determining who I am and what I think of myself. I’m so tired of feeling out of control of my own life. So here it is. “I am who I choose to become.” The rest of the world can suck it.
To remind myself of this fact, I made the above my desktop image. Every time I fire up my computer, ready to get to work, the above image is what I see. It gets me ready to go, ready to take on the world, and ready to mow down anyone who tells me I can’t do it!
In case you’re needing some similar motivation, I’ve made the image above downloadable for you all to use on your desktop of choice! To download, click here and then right click and save the image to your computer. I hope you enjoy and find yourself inspired. Happy Monday!