How I Survived Thanksgiving

The wine glass was in my hand within the first five minutes...
Actually I had a great day with my family and my sister's in-laws, and overall a good weekend with my family in southern Oregon. Thanksgiving will probably never be my favorite holiday (I was such a picky eater as a child that I didn't see the appeal at the time, so a love of Thanksgiving didn't set in early), but this one was pleasant.

Spooky Scary

I cannot get this out of my head... and so far, at least, I don't mind. I even briefly looked for it as a ringtone. I've been catching up on last season's 30 Rock while watching this season as well, so at some point I'd decided that "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" was an older reference than the beginning of this season. What saddens me is that I don't think any of my friends watch 30 Rock, meaning I'll be left chanting, "Spooky scary!" to myself.

I just realized that I forgot to update about my new bed. It is *delightful*. I dragged my friend C out weekend before last to help me mattress shop, which is a weird dynamic because it's not like she had a vote in what I should ultimately buy. I didn't want to go alone, though, because of the awkwardness of rolling around on various mattresses solo. I eventually got a Sealy Backsaver Ocean Cruise. Behold:

Best News I've Had in a WHILE

I'm getting a new bed! I'm getting a new bed! A new bed has been on my (imaginary) to-do list for quite a while, but it never seems to be priority #1, so it just hasn't happened. Last year when I was moving my bosses saw the state of my mattress/box spring and suggested that they might help me out as a Christmas present, but that never came to pass (which is fine - that would be insanely generous of them). Anyway, I was talking to my dad earlier, and he mentioned he wanted to discuss Christmas presents. We tend to exchange fairly modest gifts in my family, and my parents just took us all to Disneyland a few weeks ago (footing the entire bill) so I expected to refer him to my Amazon wishlist which is mostly books and DVDs, and that would be that. Instead he asked if I'd ever gotten around to getting a new bed, and when I said no he said that he and my mom wanted to take care of that for me. So he instructed me to go out and charge it on my credit card, and just let him know what he owes me! EEEEEEEK! I was taken aback at what a generous offer that is, and he said they had just purchased an expensive vacuum for my sister, so they felt like they needed to do something equally as nice for me. I don't say it nearly enough, but my parents are awesome.

It really is necessary, because my current bed is in sad, sad shape. I've had it since June of 1998, when I moved into my first off campus apartment. They guys moving out gave/sold a bunch of furniture to ex-roomie S and I, and I took the bed. What I didn't notice at the time was that the bed was insanely squeaky and creaky. S sat on it once and said, "Please don't ever have sex when I'm home. Just tell me to leave." I think every subsequent roommate expressed the same sentiment. (Although it either doesn't creak as much as it used to, or I've just learned to ignore it.) I don't think I physically could sleep on it without a mattress pad anymore because of a spring or two that is poking through the fabric. My cats shredded the corners of the box spring back when they were allowed in my room. Still, I paid $70 almost ten years ago, so I've more than gotten my money's worth out of it.

I can't wait to go mattress shopping this weekend! This is excellent timing, because I've been fairly down for the last month or so, and a new distraction is more than welcome.

What I Love About The Office

• Not every episode is a classic, and not every episode makes me laugh out loud (although many do), but The Office makes me happy in a way no other show does. There are moments that have left me smiling for days (typically Jim/Pam moments); the ones that spring to mind include the end of "Email Surveillance" when Jim joins Michael singing "Islands in the Stream" (which might be my favorite Jim moment ever), the Jim/Pam phone call at the end of "Initiation" (I hadn't seen the promo that showed that would happen, so my jaw dropped when she answered the phone and I don't think I moved for the duration), or the scene in "Fun Run" where Jim and Pam confirm their relationship.

• The singing scenes. I have loved every single time a character has burst into song - various character's doing karaoke, Andy singing in his high falsetto voice (too many examples to list), the bus singing from "Beach Games", the Dunder Mifflin ad jingle from the most recent episode, etc. I would include YouTube clips, but just the Andy moments make up a 5 minute video, and there are so many fabulous moments beyond just Andy.
  
  
• Even if I don't love an episode the first time I watch it I have no doubt that when I watch it again there will be background moments and nuances that I didn't see the first time.
  
  
• There's not one episode that I hate through and through. I think it's unlikely that I'll ever want to watch "Phyllis' Wedding" straight through again, but I liked the moments that didn't involve Michael.
  
  
• I like that the writers take chances with the plot, rather than coasting on a successful formula. I loved that they followed through on transferring Jim to Stamford last year, brought new characters back to Scranton with the merger (even if Andy is the only one left), and made Ryan the big boss this year.
  
  

Limitless paper in a paperless world

I keep meaning to post a blog about why I love The Office to the extent that I do, but I haven't gotten around to it. I feel the need to transcribe the Michael's voice over on the ad from last night's episode, just to see if it's as ridiculous as I think it is:

"It all starts with an idea. But you can never tell where an idea will end up. Because ideas spread, they change and grow. They connect us with the world. And in a fast moving world where good news moves at the speed of time and bad news isn't always what it seems. Because when push comes to shove we all deserve a second chance to score. Dunder Mifflin: Limitless paper in a paperless world."

Fucking brilliant. I can't tell if my favorite part is the end, or the good news moving at the speed of time.

Where my head is...

Kelly Mountain road saw a heavy load
With a sagging heart and a break apart
Voices in me stood as thick as thieves
With no sympathy for the beggars art
I have passed these pines 'bout a million times effortlessly
Now I grip the wheel, fear is what I feel
At the slow unraveling of me

You tell me it's temporary, it's just a matter of time
By God don't you think I know it's in my mind
It's right over left and healing the then
I'll soon be to nothing but I don't know when

Well the they way I flee on my crooked feet
Barn happy horse on a one-track course
Then I self despise, cryin' out my eyes
'Cause the happy trail led me to remorse
But the road is long and the song is gone
I blow empty in my cicada shell
If I saw my choice I might find my voice
But I don't know when and I just can't tell

You tell me it's temporary, just a matter of time
By God don't you think I know it's in my mind
It's right over left and healing the then
I'll soon be to nothing but I don't know when

Deep behind my face is a safer place
But old gears are hitched tight to the gate
It's a daily grind waiting to unwind
Till I hear that click that unlocks my fate

So tell me it's temporary, it's just a matter of time
By God don't you think I know it's in my mind
It's right over left and healing the then
I'll soon be to nothing but I don't know when
I'll soon be to nothing but I don't know when
I'll soon be to nothing but I don't know when

-Emily Saliers "Soon Be To Nothing"

The road is long and the song is gone

States I've visited:



... I think. I paused for a long time at Nebraska and Kansas. I think it's possible we drove through a portion of one or the other (or both) leaving Texas in 1988, but I have no particular memory of either so I decided not to click on them. All of the others, even from the trip to Minnesota when I was 5, I remember some landmark or story, etc.


States I've visited as an adult (meaning I've excluded the states my dad drove us through on family vacations):




That's kind of sad, particularly when you consider that the trips to Hawaii, Florida, and Missouri were for work. Also, leaving Arizona on there is a *complete* cheat, and was unintentional. I justified it because when I drove to and from Las Vegas (twice) a few years back, technically I was in Arizona for maybe 5 minutes each way (basically you pass an entering Arizona sign, blink, and pass the entering Nevada sign). That block of states on the west coast in my adult trips were all road trips (all solo, unless I'm blocking something out) - aside from one trip to Texas when I was one year old I didn't fly until I was almost 26. I have fond and vivid memories of all of those trips, however, even the 14 hour day all by myself, or the night I slept in my clothes because the motel I was in freaked me out (not helped by having watched some of Psycho two nights earlier).