nomadreader

Hi, again, Today I'm celebrating my birthday (I'm 38, which is not an especially exciting age, but the next benchmark age is still two years away.) I like birthday a lot, and I tend to get pretty sentimental as I celebrate. Birthdays are how we mark time, and each year, I spend much of my birthday reflecting on the past year (or, when I turned 30, the past decade) and feeling grateful for all the big and little things in my life. I'm on vacation from work today and spending it by myself, which is even better for my reflection. After I dropped Hawthorne off at school, I took myself out to breakfast. A lazy Monday morning breakfast is somehow more decadent than a weekend one. I'm treating myself to one of Taylor Jenkins Reid's backlist novels (I'll have one left when I finish this one):  Maybe in Another Life , which imagines two different paths for its protagonist Hannah. Perfect for my reflective birthday, right? Later today, I'm getting a much-needed...

Hi! This post is an "I know I haven't blogged in awhile" update post. Hawthorne is 18 months old! While I haven't been blogging, Hawthorne turned 1 and a half. Life is fun right now. He's so smart and adventurous, and he loves to feel like he's helping. It's a delight to see his sense of accomplishment at small tasks, like when I ask him to get the almond milk out of the refrigerator in the morning while I make my americano. I've gotten really into Snapchat (you can find me there as nomadreader, obviously), and this video gives you a sense of what our mornings and evenings are like. We read a lot of books ( his new favorite .) We build a lot of  farms  and  towns  and take them down and rebuild them. He plays in  his kitchen . I have come to prefer Snapchat to Instagram because life moves quickly, and Snapchat seems to be the perfect way to capture the life of a high energy toddler. Sorry, Instagram--you were so perfect before he was mobile. The...

Happy Monday morning! Things have been mighty quiet around here lately, and I confess: I have lost my reading (and blogging) mojo. I hope to be back to normal soon, but in the meantime here's why I haven't been reading much lately: Allergies. I'm not sure what it is I'm allergic to, but it is much more prevalent in Iowa than it was in New York. Even after taking Friday off work last week, I slept twelve hours a day all weekend. It's been cutting into my reading time pretty severely. I used to get up to read for an hour in the morning. Now I just aim to make it out of bed in time to get to work. I used to read for 2-3 hours after work. Now those hours are going to sleep. The gym . I'm not blaming the gym, but I am making it a priority. I'm going every single day, no matter what. I've made it sixteen days in a row, and for now I'm focusing on getting in the routine of every day. I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying it, but it does cut into m...

There has been a lot of talk about 2010 as the year of deliberate reading, and for me, I'm also being more deliberate about my television watching. I love tv, and I really like some bad tv shows. The Real World/Road Rules Challenges seem to be a series I will never outgrow. There is something endlessly fascinating about watching the continuing drama of those I watched grow older on screen. Some change immensely, and usually disappear from future seasons, and some come back the same as they were ten years ago, and I wonder if they truly are the same, or if they're simply good at playing a character of what they think the public expects of them. Still, I find I'm watching fewer guilty pleasure shows (thank you, The Soup , for making it easy to know what's going on, laugh, and not waste hours each week). I'm also watching fewer shows. If it doesn't hold my interest, I'd rather read. I'm reading The New York Times  every day, and that takes time. Time seems...

Facing an eight-hour drive alone for a wedding this summer, I immediately picked Mommywood on audio book (read by Tori Spelling). I admit it, I'm a Tori fan. I grew up watching 90210 , and I looked up to her as a somewhat normal girl (I was a kid, remember). So NoTorious is one of the funniest shows ever made (seriously, I didn't believe until I watched it; even nomadreaderboy likes it.) I loved reading sTori Telling to get her perspective on her life, and I even read Candy's delightful and bizarre memoir, Stories from Candyland . Yes, I watched Tori and Dean: Inn Love and still watch Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood . I am the target audience for this book. I find Tori delightful and fascinating. It was a great book to listen to on audio. I often have a hard time getting into audio books, so it helped to have a familiar voice and some familiar stories (from the tv show) to lure me in. Tori is refreshingly honest, and despite being on a reality show, it's amazi...

Even keeping notes while watching this episode, it's hard to keep track of, and get to know, sixteen designers. My early favorites quickly emerged when they were smart enough to have their design philosophy sound bite ready. Jennifer describes her designs as "Holly Golightly goes to a Salvador Dali exhibit." Kelli said, "if Vivienne Westwood and Betsey Johnson had a baby that would be me." Quirkiness and wit are always a dynamite combination. I also instantly liked Kenley for her loud, yet tasteful, designs that mix prints and plaids. It's not easy to mix prints and look chic. Early on, it seems we've got a forceful contingent of female designers this season. Now that we've hardly gotten to know the designers, it's time for their first challenge. Austin Scarlett is back as a guest judge, which I think is genius. Who can be more fair than a prior contestant? The producers have brought back the grocery store challenge, which was the very first c...

The night began with the news the blogosphere has been waiting for: Jessica's mysterious injury is broken ribs! No wonder she had to drop out. How much more endearing is her positivity knowing she's been dancing with broken ribs for weeks? She also announced she will be on tour. Lil' C was the guest judge this week. I don't recall seeing him guest judge, but he was the best guest judge I've seen this season. I'm curious to know more about his non- crumping background. He provided valuable constructive criticism rather than merely espousing his opinions as several judges have done this season. Courtney and Joshua danced a hip-hop routine first. Courtney said she's never popped before, which I find quite hard to believe since she dances for the Knicks . I had to pop my hips as a j.v. football cheerleader. It was a Frankenstein-themed routine, and I liked it. They both exhibited beautiful showpersonship . I enjoyed the performance, if not always the danc...

8:30 a.m. I realize the Emmys are September 21, the same evening as the Indigo Girls concert I just got my tickets for. 8:40 a.m. Damages is nominated! Dexter too! Squealing ensues, and I realize I cannot possibly type fast enough to actually live blog this event. I resort to typing snippets of notes, and now I'm reconstructing them. I'm also distracted by Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris standing next to each other. I was under the impression she was freakishly short, and I always imagined him to be quite normal sized, yet she's holding her own height-wise next to him. (According to imdb she is 4'11" and He's 5'11 3/4". Seriously, she had to be standing on a box.) The six nominees for outstanding drama series are: Boston Legal (as I said yesterday, they always have one great episode a season, which is all that matters in Emmyland , and legal dramas lend themselves to this format brilliantly), Damages (hooray! it is absolutely the be...

It's the eve of Emmy announcements. This year we've already been treated to the top ten lists, which makes predicting the actual nominees that much easier. Here are my predictions for the best series categories, including my cynicism when I imagine I will disagree with Emmy voters. I wish for Best drama: Mad Men (it's hip) Dexter (amazing) The Wire (it's due) Damages (it's best show on tv, but I'm still hesitant because the Emmy process involves a single episode, and one cannot appreciate the sheer brilliance of the final three episodes without the first ten) The Tudors I predict for Best drama: Mad Men (it's hip) House (I'm cynical) Boston Legal (it always manages one good episode to submit) Lost (as a reward for getting good again) The Tudors I wish for Best comedy: 30 Rock (funniest show on tv) Weeds (one of the five best shows on tv) The Office Pushing Daisies (I'm still unclear why this show is a comedy, but it's original and entertaining)...

It likely comes as no surprise that I'm already riveted by mtv's latest reality competition, Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods . It's not great television, but I am a huge fan of competition reality shows. Giving away a starring role in a Broadway musical is huge. (Yes, I also watched Grease: You're the One that I Want , but that program was silly because viewers got to decide the winners. I'm guessing a different cross-section of America took the time to vote for their favorites than those who actually attend musicals in New York City.) A starring role on Broadway in what is, to my generation at least, an iconic musical. One of the most amusing moments from the first episode was after a long montage and spouting statistics about the number of people who audition for Broadway each year versus those who are actually cast, let alone go on to win a Tony award. This montage was actually quite moving, and I initially felt like I was literally wat...

Nomadreaderboy and I have finished season one of Dexter . It's absolutely worth watching, as it is unlike any other show on television. It's not brilliant, but it is certainly captivating. The show certainly has the potential to be brilliant, and I hope season two will prove my hunch. Going in, I heard two things about the show: it's the best show on television and it's about a serial killer. It's not the best show on television. In fact, the first half of the season is better than the second half. The build-up and tension were delightful, but the answers to the questions were unsatisfying, partially mundane and a little silly. I'm more than willing to suspend my disbelief, but I was completely unprepared to do so. The first half of the season was hyper realistic, almost to the point of uncomfortability at times. (It is a realistic portrayal of a serial killer after all). Dexter was based on a novel, now a series of novels, and the conclusion of the sea...

Since the release date for the Sex and the City was announced months ago, I vowed to rewatch every episode in May before I see the movie. I foolishly thought moving would allow me plenty of time to watch all 94 episodes. In actuality, I sat down to officially start this project and watch the first episode last Saturday, May 17. Two weeks is plenty of time for currently unemployed/job-seeking self to do something I enjoy doing anyway. It's worth noting my pursuit is not unique. Emily Gould is blogging her same experience, even more condensed than mine, for Jezebel under the clever tag living viCarrieously It's generally accepted among fans the show gets better as it goes on. The early episodes are funnier than I remember, but I miss the bittersweetness that develops over time. There are scenes I find so ridiculous (i.e. Carrie freaking out when she farts in front of Mr. Big), I can't even take the episode seriously. It made me take Carrie less seriously too. When ...

As a brand new resident of New York state, I admit I squealed when I read the season finale of Law & Order was inspired by the Eliot Spitzer scandal. The episode started off a little dull, but soon high class hookers appeared. The detectives had little screen time this episode, although S. Epatha Merkerson still managed to steal every scene she appeared in. I confess I haven't seen an episode since Jesse L. Martin's departure, so I still can't comment on Anthony Anderson's role as the new detective. Regardless, this episode was written for Sam Waterston . Despite the silly plot point that only Sam Waterston recognized the governor's voice as the mystery john, the writing was superb. Tom Everett Scott was so deliciously evil as the governor, I hope he acted his way into a regular role next season. In the end, the storyline of corrupt government and seedy dealings that is so unsatisfying in reality is the only ultimately gratifying way to end the episod...

I haven't watched The Real World since the sixteenth season set in Austin. Each season, I find myself getting excited for the premiere, and I turn in to watch the first one or two episodes. Usually, I then discover most of the cast members to be either dull or irritating, and find the unfolding events rather elementary. I know the ignorant Southerner will have an awakening one episode. Although I do enjoy the liberalization of anyone, it's not new or usually enjoyable to see the ignorance leading up to the meltdown. I hoped that this season would be different. The producers caveat was that each cast member has some aspirations of a career in entertainment. Would this season hearken back to the good old days of San Francisco, when Judd was already a semi-successful cartoonist and Pam was in medical school? Hardly, but at least these young people are only partially focused on getting drunk. As many cynics will note, reality television has not historically been a pathway to a...

Andy: "How can you be so blindly pro-Bush?" Doug: "I like his wife Laura; I used to buy weed from her at SMU."

I was initially a little hesitant to watch David Duchovny's return to television. The reviews were rather unspectacular and frequently referenced Duchovny's character, Hank, as a misogynist . While Hank could certainly be called an asshole, he hates himself far more than anyone, let alone an entire sex. I believe Hank's self hatred makes the opening scene where he receives a blow job from a nun humorous instead of offensive. One episode in, and I'm intrigued. I gasped in shock and laughed out loud. Raunchy, dark humor that doesn't offend this feminist is often hard to find. The wackiness balances the raunchiness and brings a more human element to it. Hank is a troubled man, but he still has some semblance of humor. Californication is a delicious union of low-brow deviant debauchery and high-brow intellectual dialogue. Bonus points: Fantastic soundtrack, without beating it into the ground Grey's Anatomy -style by ending each episode in a poignant montage ...

Despite the fact that several episodes in to Puffy's latest ego fest of a reality show that really has very little to do with him, there are once again twenty hopeful young men, I can't stop watching. Not surprisingly, the greatest hits of Boyz II Men (and the occasional Stevie Wonder tune) provide a touching backdrop to the rarely portrayed world of male bonding. This week's episode featured two goose bump -inducing twenty-young-men-strong renditions of "End of the Road". I doubt I will ever tire of a group of talented, grateful, young men on the verge of either tears or rage coming together, from varying backgrounds, ages and regions, to sing the hell out of a song. It's a surprisingly moving program, and I keep falling for the success of more of the aspiring singers. I'm still on Team Dan (and Team Donnie - seriously, this guy is meant for boy band fame), but Team Carlos is creeping up on me, and surprisingly, Team Michael. If you haven't se...

Earlier today, as I was trying to explain my unending fascination with Big Brother to nomadreaderboy , my best guess is the ever-changing strategy. The show continually provides the unexpected. There are no judges to do the right thing and eliminate the appropriate people; the viewers don't get the power of calling into vote (after season one). Each week is a constant power struggle. Players can form all the alliances they want to, but depending on who wins Head of Household and the Power of Veto each week affects the game. The producers can try to meddle all they want to, and the result is usually good. I enjoy when evicted houseguests come back; I especially enjoy it when the viewers vote one evictee back in. I realize the drain Big Brother viewing can have on an individual, even in the summer. The show itself is on three times a week. For a rather meager fee, one can watch four camera feeds 24 hours a day online. This season Showtime will show the live feed three hours each...

As the N begins airing the latest installment of season six of Degrassi: The Next Generation , I racked my brain to decide if any other teen drama has seamlessly made the transition from high school to college. Season six features part of the cast in college and part of them still in high school. Largely, I believe, due to the format of the program not following the same characters in each episode, the show is able to change settings. There are a few students who are at the local college, of course, so they're free to drop by the high school still, but there are still many once tried-and-true main characters who are more recurring guest stars. It takes powerful writing and an amazing ensemble cast to make these transitions possible. The writers are astute; even when characters aren't seen for weeks at a time, their names are mentioned. They maintain off-camera contact through email and the phone. It's no secret that I think Degrassi: The Next Generation , in fact all s...

It is not a secret that I have become completely enamored with The Closer . It is one of the best written and best acted programs on television today. I am quickly making my way through the second season on dvd in preparation for the June 18 th premiere of season three. Blessedly, season two takes the strong characters carved out during the first season and takes them deeper. Frances Sternhagen as Brenda's mother is brilliant. Whoever cast her and wrote that two episode arc deserves a raise and an Emmy. The interplay of Sternhagen and the sublimely good Kyra Sedgwick (seriously, I didn't believe she had it in her until I started watching) managed to parallel their actions and words in a beautiful ode to the sometimes strained Southern mother and daughter relationship. I wasn't sure Sternhagen could outdo her rendition as Bunny on Sex and the City , but she is even better in this role. I hope she's back during season three. If you haven't seen The Closer ...