Lost: Epic Cliffhanger (and that's about it)

This episode exasperated me to no end. Hardly anything happened at all until the last three minutes... Instead it seemed like they spent the majority of the show giving us (or at least me) a bunch of false indicators, and then going through proving us wrong on each. For example, my initial impression was that the episode would be Sayid's backstory, but no, moments later we were back on the island having a tender moment between Juliet and Sawyer. At this I rejoiced quite sincerely, since you all know what a fan I am of the two of them... but a bit later, Sawyer was off to visit Kate and it looked like they were on the verge of reconnecting. Suddenly, the balance of the love-triangle was precarious once again. Then, after the heart-wrenching scene with Ben and his horrible father, I *almost* thought that Sayid (of all people) was going to develop compassion for Ben. Riiiight, I should have known better, but hey I'm idealistic like that. Basically, this episode seemed to bounce around playing the "haha, you thought you were clever there but now you see you're not!" game. Laaame!

Had the writers not tacked on the last scene or two, this is the letter I would have written them:

Dear Writers:
We already know y'all specialize in the unpredictable. No need to create a whole episode to highlight the fact. There is plenty else you can address. In no particular order, these include: bringing back Claire in any capacity, acknowledging the absence of Rose and Bernard, explaining where the smoke monster came from, accounting for the whereabouts of Aaron, looping back to Locke and the other folks from the plane, providing more information about Richard, and filling in the blanks regarding Desmond and Penny's wellbeing. Particularly how it might relate to the bloodstained Ben the day of the flight. And where the heck is Faraday?? That was one of the best storylines... bring him back!

Choose any of the above -- I'm quite flexible.
Appreciatively,
Your most demanding fan.

Of course, they did tack on the last two scenes, and it changed everything... First the flaming van hurtling towards the village (Ben's doing?) and Sayid's subsequent break-out.... culminating with young Ben crumpling to the ground with a bullet in his chest. That hugely disturbing and mind-boggling (though not unexpected) twist was perhaps the reason for the lack of real development throughout the early part of the show; it was probably all the more shocking because things had been fairly quiet up until that point. The writers must have figured it would balance out nicely, but I wouldn't be quite so generous. The first part of the show just seemed needlessly convoluted to me, and I just kept thinking about all the other ways they could be taking things in those precious 45 minutes... I suppose they can't give us too much, with a whole season yet to come.

Needless to say, Sayid's attempt to murder young Ben opens up a whole can of worms -- just the time-travel aspect alone could send me into a pretty good tizzy. It seems clear that young Ben isn't going to die -- the show would be rudderless without him. It probably will turn out that he had survived an attack in his childhood all along, but it will be fascinating to see how the story goes from here! Lovin' the Lost.... hating this EPIC cliffhanger, agh!

Edit: For a differing opinion than mine from someone who loved the whole episode, check out Rocks in my Dryer for Shannon's take on it.

EDIT (again -- caps because I'm really excited :P): Check out this post by EverydayMom... she has some really insightful theories! I think she might be on to something that this could be the event that turned Ben into the monster we've known him as... but I like her second idea about Ben trying to stop the loop even better. More hopeful/redemptive, so naturally I gravitate towards it... Give it a look-see!

FINAL EDIT (I promise): You've got to check out Green Jello for her talk-show analysis of the Daddy Issues on Lost... She's *hysterical*
8

Best tip ever: Conditioner "subbing" as shaving cream...

Several years ago I read a tip in some women's magazine about how, if circumstances were dire enough, you could use hair conditioner as shaving cream. The magazine even explained that the proteins in hair conditioner were ideally suited to protect the shaver from nicks. Having always been clumsy, and with a scar on my ankle to prove it, I seized upon this idea with great enthusiasm. And it worked for me, beautifully! However, I rejected the notion that this substitution was only good in a pinch, and haven't bought shaving cream since. Not only do my ankles and knees suffer fewer bandaid-worthy indignities in the quest to be ready for shorts-weather, but I also have fewer bottles in my bathroom... always a plus for a products-loving, clutter-abhorring, girly-girl like me. In addition, my environmentalist side loves that I don't have to puzzle over whether metal shaving cream containers are recyclable, and my Thriftie side loves that I don't have to shell out money on what tend to be an expensive item, when I can regularly get conditioner for very cheap... or even free if CVS is being particularly obliging! And finally, when I was in a long-distance relationship and going out of town most weekends, it was one less thing to have to remember to pack. All in all ladies, let me advise that you give this one a try for yourself... there are lots of reasons why you just might find it works for you too.

This post is participating in Works For Me Wednesday, at We Are THAT Family. Check it out for great tips and ideas!

Disclaimer: Make sure to rinse your shower well after the experiment, cuz the conditioner can leave things a bit slippy...
8

Fabulous Freebies for a Dreary Tuesday...

Today has a very gray and lethargic feeling to me... so I figured I'd lively up your day with some fun free stuff.

Part 1: Invitations for a party in your mailbox!

For all of your er... fiber needs, forget apples and oatmeal and other things that involve chewing... drink pink lemonade! That's what Kelloggs wants you to do anyway, and as dubious as it may seem, if you're curious you can request a sample here.

For free stuff for *coughcough* girls only, look here. But believe me guys, you don't have to be jealous of this one...

Shampoo samples are great to take on overnight trips... Check out this sample of Dove Heat Defense Therapy shampoo/conditioner, and skip all those bottles when packing next time.

You can apply that same ease-of-travel logic to this free sample of Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash... I forsee silky smooth in your near future...

Part 2: Downloadable frivolity and glee:

Go here to download some really adorable animal bookplates -- I love the vintage look! The whole of Sweet Jessie's blog is really a wealth of beautiful craft and decorating ideas, so be sure to do some clicking over there.

Lastly, check out this free Amazon download of a whole CD of medieval chant choral music... there are some beautiful pieces, and of course the (lack of) price is right. If something a little more modern is your cup of tea, check out this MP3 from the Decemberists on the blog Muruch. As is usual with them... its kind of bizarre.

If you haven't yet requested your free Ted's Montana Grill burger, make sure you don't miss out on it! My boyfriend and I had a delicious and highly affordable dinner out the other night courtesy of the "contest," so it's very much on my mind at the moment. :P

0

CVS Battle-of-Wills, and Savings Victories

I was walking to CVS on my lunch break Friday, when someone nearly bumped into me. She didn't say anything, so automatically I apologized instead. It drives me crazy when I do that! I certainly don't care if the people around me are clumsy or distracted, but I don't feel like there's any reason for me to take false credit for collisions. This very small social error of over-deference, or however you want to view it, seems more objectionable to me because of its connections with my jelly-spine days, which aren't as far in the past as I should like. In any case, as I walked on I had the very distinct thought, "I wish I had a confrontational bone in my body... or maybe even two of them..." I then spent the rest of the walk considering why greater assertiveness would be useful, and how I should start trying to be more deliberate about standing up for myself... a highly significant and almost ironic train of thought, as you will see, because of what happened about 20 minutes later.

At CVS I proceeded to do a little (highly targeted) shopping, and got to the register a few minutes later to find that the clerk didn't want to honor the coupons I had brought. He mistakenly thought that I could only use one coupon per manufacturer, and as L'Oreal had been particularly generous with coupons lately, I was armed with three (of very nice high denominations too: $3/2, $3/1, $2/1). He was very stubborn, and very sure he was right. I knew he was wrong, and had just spent ten minutes considering the value of assertiveness and not being intimidated by people. The battle was epic.

For several minutes he explained that I could only use one of that set of coupons, and I politely kept repeating that the policy was per item and I was good to go. Another clerk and then finally their manager had to get involved before he would believe us that I was actually right. Overall it was no big deal, just a little confusion on the part of the register clerk, but even that little bit of confrontation (quote-unquote) had my adrenaline kicking in hardcore, accompanied by flushed cheeks and shaking hands . I did manage to keep speaking normally though, no increased pitch or fast talking, so I gave myself kudos for that much. Conclusion: As I was aware, I am not good at being assertive... but sticking up for myself anyway is highly satisfying. I continue to be mystified by encountering clerks who are determined to save companies and manufacturers' money, when these same companies and brands are the ones desperately marketing in an effort to get me to take them up on their deals and sales... but oh well.

Details on my CVS escapade are as follows... There were very nice weekly specials of $5 Extracare Bucks back on $20 of L'Oreal products, as well as a $3 ECBs back on a $7 Bandaid/Neosporin purchase, and both categories had stuff I had already been meaning to buy. I bought

2 packages of L'Oreal Skin Genesis face-wash wipes
1 L'Oreal Hip eyeshadow
1 L'Oreal Bare Naturale Mascara
1 Neosporin
1 box of Bandaids

I had those three notorious L'Oreal coupons, and a coupon for $1 off each of the first-aid items too. After I had won the epic battle, I then proceeded to hand over a "$5 off of $25" CVS coupon, and $9 ECB. MUAHAHAHA the register clerk just loved me I'm sure...

The total normally would have been $44.28. It cost me $13.59, and I got $8 ECBs back. Plus, the small sense of self-actualization from standing up for myself when in the past I would have given in. A most memorable shopping trip. :P

Note: I've posted before about playing the Extracare Bucks (ECB) game to get stuff for free or highly discounted... if you're still getting started on that, check out my post The Secret Life of the Savvy CVS shopper for a refresher on tips. A good ECB special to take advantage of (or start with) this week would be the Crest Pro-Health Enamel Care toothpaste or rinse, free after purchase price back in ECB bucks, and coupons frequently available in the paper too. There's also $5 ECB back after $10 St. Ives purchase and $5 ECB back after a $20 L'Oreal purchase (which, along with a bunch of coupons, served me pretty well last week). Find other ECB deals on items including Zyrtec and Schick Quattro for Women in their online store circular here.
3

Project {create a home}... Please make over my life & style! :P

The amazing blog Project {create a home} is currently doing a Life & Style Makeover giveaway that has piqued my interest in a big way! The site's overall mission is to encourage women to "create the life you've always wanted" -- and this idea of empowerment appeals to me hugely. The makeover giveaway is meant to be a concrete embodiment of this inspiration, and it really does sound brilliant to me. Below you will find the concise version (ha!) of "my story," to serve as my entry into the giveaway. It was hard to write, but maybe will be encouraging if you've ever dealt with similar... er... head-problems. If it is, even just a little, then I will view it as hugely successful post lol. I hope you'll check out their great site -- it's well-worth the clicks. :)

My first attempt at this essay was very long-winded. Trying to sit down and think where " my story” should begin was very much like an initial session with a therapist: long-winded, breathless, emotional, disjointed… I almost gave up the idea of doing it altogether. But I didn't, and this is the result (I may regret it tomorrow... I can't tell yet lol).

The short version would be that I grew up homeschooled and shy, and didn’t know I was suffering from depression, anxiety disorder, and probably ADD, all to varying degrees from childhood on. When you've only ever felt one way, you don't have the perspective to tell that something is wrong -- it's just the way things are. Mid-college (yes, it took that long!) I took a study-abroad trip to Spain where I was entirely independent and even somehow managed to make friends with the majority of my study group. For anxious, clingy, reserved Sarah Eliza, it was a taste of normalcy and adventure and felt something like an emotional explosion. It was as though I had been trapped inside a box and all the sudden busted out, glorious and free! But of course explosions tend to leave quite the mess behind, and a few short weeks later the formerly-boxed-up-me suddenly found herself back in the states, metaphorically stumbling around through the debris on cramped legs that didn’t know how to run, and seeing with eyes that were terrified by the chaos of life around me.

That fall was supposed to be my last year of college; it was also my first year living apart from my family. My world in those months rapidly started crumbling, as I realized that seven weeks of friendship and fearlessness in no way made up for the lack of social confidence created by 20 years spent behind the covers of books. I suddenly recognized just how lonely and isolated I felt, and what had just been a business-as-usual haze of unhappiness turned into an ugly fog of apathy and despair. I suddenly understood how far I was from living fully and truly, but I had no idea how to get where I wanted to be, and how to even express what was inside my head. I spent the next two years struggling to build friendships and learning to function socially and emotionally, dealing with all of the psychological issues I had only just realized that I had. I went on medication, painfully tried to learn to communicate, and started building connections with those around me.

Around that time I added a second major, which let me study my true passion, writing. It also kept me in college another year... another blessed year of trying to sort through the jumble in my mind and life. And things did get better. Tentative friendships cemented into security and laughter, and I was writing and working out regularly, both of which were good for me. But some things eluded me... cooking being one of them. I had mild panic attacks whenever I tried to cook alone; the process of spending time and effort on mixing and cooking things when the meal would be gone again tomorrow and leave behind only a messy kitchen, just seemed to emphasize to me all that was meaningless in my universe. So I tended to eat cereal, and mostly deflected the chaos.

Then was graduation and my first real apartment, and many of my newly established friends moving away. The ones who were left in the city felt inexplicably distant, as though the few miles between us were actually thousands. I buckled down to the business of making it through each day, started waitressing to pay the rent while looking for a job, and practiced making ends meet & loan payments on a tiny, tiny income. I taught Sunday School at the new church I had found, clipped coupons very neatly, got very good at figuring out which bills I could pay late and which I could put on a credit card, and spent Saturdays anxiously, aimlessly trying to remember what I was supposed to be doing.

Eventually I found an office job, and started dating one of my best friends from college who had just graduated himself. We had always been very close and he understood me better than probably anyone; with his encouragement I started to feel more centered. My job began to chafe me though, tied to my desk and a bin of files… and then when the "slow season" came around it just got worse as the bin of files morphed into a pile of letters to fold. I watched a lot of internet TV, complained constantly to my friends, and felt my synapses dying with every passing day. Yet I felt paralyzed, unable to make any real changes, or to move beyond the planning stage towards any of the goals I set for myself.

I'm aware of how very far I've already come, yet it never feels like fast enough or far enough. I have legs to walk on now, and most of the time I can look this broken world in the face without backing down, yet I know that I am not yet all that I could be. I'm going in a million directions at once, and making hardly any progress on anything. I want to find a new job and somewhere to volunteer regularly; I want to start doing some freelance writing. I want to have a blog that reflects who I am and is a tool for creativity and connection. I want to get involved, really involved, in a church community. I want to cook regularly, recycle, spend time with friends, garden, and get back in shape. I want to finish some of the craft projects I start, and I want to organize all those jumbled papers always crowding my desk. I want to not be overwhelmed by all these things, and not collapse in emotional exhaustion just at the thought of trying to prioritize and tackle even just a few. In many ways, I’m still the girl who used to spend her Saturdays distractedly going from one thing to another before taking a nap to avoid the jumble inside of her head. And I want to change that.

So I guess it's pretty obvious by now that my first choice for this Life & Style Makeover would be life coaching! The idea of having the kind of concentrated guidance and encouragement as describes is amazing to me. I already know that the women affiliated with this blog have immense wisdom and inspiration to offer... I've been motivated by reading them just in passing, let alone interacting with them directly. As the saying goes, even Leonardo daVinci only had 24 hours in a day... I want to learn to manage my time so that I can actually do the things I enjoy, finish some of the things I start, and make progress on my goals. Having help with that, and help learning to organize and prioritize better, would have a huge impact in my life.

This is one of the most considerate, kind giveaways I’ve ever heard of, and there are so many in desperate need for kindness and encouragement! Just reading the different posts up for this giveaway feels like a kind of tour of the myriad difficulties of life on this planet. So many people are struggling to get by, and get things together -- I know whoever is chosen will be so blessed by the hope and thoughtfulness! I’ve been blessed even just by the chance to sit down and think about how far I’ve come… the present seems easier when I consider the past. After all... I can cook now! The purpose I see outweighs the chaos, as long as I remember to constantly keep looking for it. And that is hugely hopeful in and of itself.

Thank you for the chance for reflection, and for the opportunity to be included in this competition. :)
5

Losties Go Dharma, as Jin & Sun are separated by a wall of time...

Ok, this episode was long-anticipated on my part, so I was definitely on a bit of a high as I started watching it. I experienced edge of my seat tension when Sawyer and Kate hugged, a thrill when he told them that it was 1977, impatient seat-bouncing when the episode player shifted to a commercial (stupid Toyota Tundras urg), and then finally settled down enough to watch the episode calmly after that. This was another strong one in my opinion… one thing I have to say for the Lost writers, is just when you start figuring out a trend and getting comfortable (like, oh ok, so they’re all going to be part of the Dharma initiative now for a while…), they throw in something completely unexpected (like, oh WOW, Sun and the others are in a different place in time altogether…).

Question 1 resolved: Juliet is not pregnant. A little disappointing, because I know she must want a baby, but I'm ok with it because if she had been pregnant than the stakes would have been even higher in the Sawyer/Kate/Juliet triangle.

Note: for a split second of cynicism in that scene where Jack/Kate/Hugo were getting their work assignments, I thought Juliet had left Kate off the list on purpose to eliminate her as competition for Sawyer's affections. The thought was low, and unworthy of me, and I'm relieved Juliet took the higher road.

Question 2 resolved: Sawyer isn’t going to go running back to Kate… at least not right now. Which is probably to be expected, since this episode emphasized that he’s a thinker and a planner… something we should have known already from the elaborate cons he was capable of devising and executing in the past. Also, why would they waste a plot point of such a potentially high level of tension when they could drag it out for a good long while? I’m still holding strong to the hope that he knows a good thing when he sees it, and stays with Juliet. Ever since the start of this season she's seemed to have a calming, centering effect on Sawyer; I'm crediting his new strength of character to the fact that she brings out the best in him. As far as I can tell, this Sawyer is a far cry from the man who told Charlie to fake Sun's kidnapping, and then pronounced of himself, "I'm just bad, through and through."

Question 3 resolved: Youthful Ben is indeed currently on the island as I had suspected. Which means Jack will be working with Ben’s worthless drunken father… that should be interesting.

Other random observations: I loved the long-awaited face-off between Sawyer and Jack, and I think that Sawyer makes an excellent point; Jack does tend to react rather blindly to whatever comes his way. “Thoughtful” or “insightful” haven’t ever been words I would use to describe him, and now I guess we’ll see if Sawyer can’t do better. I also am really curious to know if Christian is actually alive again, as Locke seems to be, or just kind of undead. What with his connection with Jacob in past seasons, I’m leaning towards the latter. Lastly, it seems like Ben would have recognized Juliet when she came to the island in the future – it seems to be a fairly small community, and he is at least fourteen. She’s even going by the same name, so surely he knew something was up with that when he met her as an adult. For that matter, he must have remembered the others too, when he was captured and met them all, way back when.

Otherwise… this episode didn’t resolve a whole lot else. In fact, when it ended, I was kind of in shock that 40 minutes had already gone by, because it felt really short. New questions from this episode include: How the heck did a large group of people all in the same place end up getting sent to two different places in time? Did Sun and the others just stay in the present when the plane crashed? The island can’t be in two places in time at once, so that doesn’t make sense to me. Also, where did Faraday go? Sawyer said he’s not on the island any more, yet in a flashback from another episode we saw him participating in the construction of the Swan, so he's got to come back at some point. Did he recover from Charlotte's death, or did he stay the emotional wreck he appeared when we last saw him?

Not quite as much progress as I would have liked, but some satisfying developments none the less... As always, lookin' forward to next Wednesday! Episode to be cryptically entitled, "He's Our You," and promising that one of the Losties will go renegade and "take matters into his own hands..." Dun duh DUH!

EDIT: Oh my gosh. I was just totally struck by how symbolic Sawyer's new name "Jim" is ("Don't call him James... he hates that."). New name for a more or less new person? Almost a rebirth, if you will?

Another EDIT: If you haven't already, definitely look here to try to see if you can see Claire lurking in the shadows behind Sun in the cabin scene. Personally, I think its one of those gaffers or best boys, or whatever you call the television crew ppl, but check for yourself.
10

Towards a darker shade of Green: Feb edition

Having noted the date, it's probably now obvious to all and sundry that "punctuality" wasn't on my 2009 Goals list. But even though it's more than half-way through March (good Lord!), I still want to do a "environmental inventory" for February. As you will see shortly, the procrastination in posting might have been due to the fact that I wasn't doing too well in the Green Arena last month... But confession is good for the soul. My goals for February were:

1. When purchasing spinach and apples, only buy organic. Hurrah! This one gets a check mark.... during the month of February, I only purchased organic apples and spinach. And by organic I mean pesticide/chemical free -- a distinction I draw because my boyfriend balks at the term "organic," since all living things are by definition "organic matter." Touche my dear.. now hurry up and hop on the wagon with me! :P

2. Research what vegetables are most foolproof, and decide whether to buy a potato bin grower thing. Errr... unfortunately this one I utterly failed to complete last month. We have decided on some of the vegetables we want to plant, and are definitely going to purchase a couple potato bins, but all that deciding only happened yesterday... However it is done, so check mark none the less.

3. Purchase petri dishes to test first batch of homemade cleaners as scientifically as possible Sigh. I didn't get this one done either. However, though I can't scientifically verify the fact as of yet, I have every reason to believe that my homemade cleaners are working beautifully. I've been using them regularly and even my fastidious side has been completely satisfied with the results.

4. Consistently use alternative transportation for commute at least four days a week. Ok well... I fell short of the four days a week for sure. According to the log-site, during the month of February I chose non-driving options 16 times. Which sounds really good initially, but they're counting to work and back as two "trips", so it actually means I only carpooled or took the bus twice a week on average. Not so hot... I was doing better at this one in January. However, 8 days of alternative commuting does add up to 48 miles worth of eliminated driving, so it still counts for something.

5. Use canvas bags for grocery shopping at least every other trip. This one I also didn't quite accomplish... however I figured out why not! My paranoid psyche was uncomfortable with taking my Publix-logo-ed canvas bags into Publix, for fear that the register clerk would try to charge me for them a second time, or perhaps would think I was a hippy thief who just popped the tags off that one item before proceeding to pay for the rest of my groceries. Hey I've never claimed that my paranoias make sense, ok? But anyway, I was ending up with plastic bags at certain stores because of that, and the issue was easily solved by stocking up on canvas bags during a sale at Walgreen's. No room for trouble there! And hopefully a higher success rate on this item in the future.

6. Make a new batch of homemade laundry detergent. Hurrah, another check mark! My boyfriend and I whipped up another batch of laundry gel a week or two into February, and if anything it turned out better than our first one did. We still had "ingredients" left from that batch, and have plenty for another few too. The first one lasted me somewhere between four and six months, so I won't need to repeat this item for a while.

Last but not least, the best 'repurposing' tip I found during February was the idea of using coffee filters to cover food in the microwave. I had a whole package of coffee filters that were too small for my coffee drinking needs and had been on the verge of heedlessly tossing them out, so I was very excited to find and utilize this tip.

Alas. Honesty is very painful. Despite my good intentions at the beginning of February, I only managed to reach three of my six goals. This probably means I should whittle them down a bit for March. I can't decide whether the month already being half over is a good thing or not...


My "green" goals for March are as follow:

1. Add potatoes to my list of organic switch-overs, joining spinach and apples.

2. Buy vegetable seedlings and potato bins; till garden; plant seedlings if appropriate for type

3. Purchase petri dishes (I still think this would be a fun experiment). Use only homemade cleaners, and environmentally-friendly dishwasher detergent (my weak point... so expensive. =/)

4. Use alternative transportation at least three times a week. (Preferably four)

5. Use canvas bags while shopping at least every other trip (for reals this time yo)

6. If adding any lamps in my new place, use only CFL light bulbs; switch over existing light bulbs in kitchen fixture as well.

7. Find and execute an idea regarding a new use for something that would otherwise be thrown away.

I have two weeks (less, but don't point that out to me) to get moving! Anybody relate, or have encouragement, or green 'repurposing' ideas I should try? Let me know -- I want to hear! :)
4

Kreativ Blogging Award!


Hurray! A little over a week ago, Frugal Dr. Mom was really sweet and honored me with a Kreativ Blogging Award. As one of the first frugal bloggers I ever stumbled across, Frugal Dr. Mom has always impressed me as a Thriftie extraordinaire. Thank you for the encouragement Dr Mom! It means a lot. :)

How this award works is that each awardee must pass it on to six other bloggers, as well as sharing six things that she loves. Blogging can certainly be impersonal, so this is a great opportunity to lend a personal touch, while giving some of your favorite sites a shout-out. It made my night when I saw Dr. Mom had awarded one to me -- and I'm really excited to pass it on. It's hard to choose six... I have literally dozens of blogs "funnelling" through my google reader, and I enjoy and benefit from all of them. But I'll give it my best go.


Things I love (in no particular order and by no means all-encompassing):

1. Green tea, mojitos, gingerbread, sushi, or french fries
2. Traveling to all manner of new places
3. Old-school Mario, team-trivia, and game nights
4. Cooking... the more adventurous or exotic the recipe the better...
5. Coupon-ing, finding deals, and feeling like I have more control over my finances
6. Words (this is a cheating way of encompassing "writing," "blogging," "reading" and possibly even "twitter" in one fell swoop)



Kreativ blogs (DITTO!):
1. Casablanca -- Dera has an inexhaustible ability to make me laugh... Plus, I'm inspired by her healthy/green emphasis. I swore off Splenda just because once in passing she (humorously) mentioned it negatively. Not even kidding... I value her opinion that highly. Now she's raising 25 chicks in her urban backyard, and I'm excited to be along for the ride... she's really great!

2. The Martha Initiative -- To quote her site, "The Martha Initiative is what happens when one regular woman tries to become a domestic goddess." From shopping, to decorating, to cooking, Amanda can more than keep pace with Martha Stewart! In fact, Martha better watch out, because Amanda is a lot more fun and very capable of sweeping the world by storm.

3. Lizzy's Language -- Lizzy keeps her readers updated on deals and recipes, while interspersing her posts with encouraging notes and funny stories about her kids. At the beginning of this month she posted some reflection about choices and how hard they can be... It was what I needed to hear at that precise moment, and I appreciated it a lot!

4. Rocks in My Dryer -- I couldn't not mention Shannon, she's practically a legend! I love hearing about her life, faith, and of course perspectives on Lost... Funny, engaging, and bright, this one is a can't-miss.

5. Blue Castle -- First I thought this blog was great because it's name references one of my favorite LM Montgomery books... then I thought it was great because of the fun, upbeat writing and wealth of amazing crafting/decorating ideas. Currently Sarah has me desperately wanting to buy up spray paint and thrift store light fixtures and make them into gorgeous works of art -- so cool!

6. Condo Blues -- Lately I've been loving this one... The tagline really says it all: "Green Frugal Living that's Big on Style and Small on Budget" Fun, motivational, and basically touching on most everything I'm inspired by these days... Can't go wrong.


Congratulations y'all, on blogs that I find inspiring, creative, engaging, and fun. :) I'm just one lil person down South on a laptop... but I know I speak for a lot of others! And I know you know it too.. but I figure it's always nice to hear again.
4

Forget Cable! Part two: Elaborating on TV the Devastate Boredom Way

Ok -- the other day I posted a very extensive list of all the TV programs that meet my criteria of excellence in entertainment. But I kept wanting to actually talk about them, especially some of the ones that I've started watching more recently and have a lot of enthusiasm for.

So here's a quick review run-down of nine of my new favorites. Hurray!


Dollhouse: I had high hopes and deep-rooted skepticism regarding this one, and it's actually really good so far. Showcasing an evil corporation that leases out programmable human "Actives" who shed and assume personalities at the touch of a button, it's maintained momentum with fast-paced well-written narratives pretty well so far. This cohesive action and sympathy is achieved despite having a heroine, Echo, whose whole identity changes completely with each new episode; something that seems to be accomplished by the ongoing outside perspectives of her almost-fatherly "handler," who squirms against his role as a member of the organization that enslaves her, and the FBI agent who is determined to track her down and put an end to the Dollhouse, despite having no real proof that it even exists. In the last two episodes the writers have begun to hint that Echo is indeed retaining some memories of her past identities, and starting to exert free-will despite the programing, but as of yet it is still nebulous what direction the show will take. Regardless, this is any sci-fi lover's new favorite show.

Lost: Err.. I've already said a lot about this one. It's a heady addiction this season, but I will admit that some of the earlier seasons were nowhere near as compelling. As long as you're willing to overlook the Deus ex machina propensity of the writers, you'll love it too. And really, they've done a lot better in keeping all their lose ends untangled this season, so it's actually feasible that eventually we might come to a satisfying conclusion...

Leverage: This show is like having a new installment of Ocean's 11 every week. Seriously. It really is that clever, endearing, and backhandedly illicit. However, the goal here is to steal/lie/con for the sake of good, with the team working beneath the law to solve crimes and right wrongs that would otherwise go unaddressed. This is probably my newest favorite show.

Bones: Oh David Boreanaz, after Buffy, I'd watch even crappy shows, as long as they had your name on them. Luckily for us both, this one is amazing. Bones manages to take crime scene investigation to an impressive level of sophistication, while maintaining golden chemistry between (charismatic) FBI agent Booth and (socially oblivious) forensic scientist Temperance Brennen. The host of lively, temperamental geniuses that surrounds them is an added plus, ensuring that there is never a dull moment. Amusing, intellectual, and warm, this show has easily commandeered my loyalty.

Burn Notice: Ex-spy takes on villains and The Man at once, as "blacklisted" undercover agent Michael Westin tackles crime in Miami while seeking to clear his name with the US government. I have a love/hate relationship with this show. The love is inspired by the clever voice-over narration, amusing off-handed jokes, and impressive cons... the hate is mostly due to my overwhelming desire to go make a bunch of sandwiches and stuff them down Fiona's throat. Fiona is Michael's emaciated, horribly unhealthy-looking Irish bomber girlfriend, who specializes in spectacular explosions and pretending to be people she's not (also, I could probably add "distracting the bad guys and increasing male viewership by wearing as little clothing as possible." But who's bitter?). Also this season the writers have spontaneously generated a Soft Side for Fiona, which actually has succeeded in making me like her better, now that I've stopped being incredibly startled and dubious every time she pulls it out. This is a fun one, and probably the only USA program I've seen that manages to not have that brightly polished, fluffy sheen to it (for example, my boyfriend resents that I don't like Psych. I think it's just too color-coordinated for me to take seriously...) so it gets extra points for that.

The Medium: I only started watching this show a few weeks ago, and my big observation so far is that this poor couple never gets an uninterrupted night's sleep. This show is more about a woman who has nighttime visions than a woman who communicates with ghosts, and when Allison is on hand to assist the police as a 'consultant,' the bad guy always gets what he deserves. They have some intriguing plot lines though, and I like the DuBois family... though Allison doesn't actually interact with them much that we see, beyond discussing her latest case with her husband and rushing her daughters through breakfast. That might just be a recent trend though.

30 Rock: I'll just say that I've been known to wax lyrical about this show in the past... It's funny, and clever, and each character is a gem. Plus, all of Liz Lemon's Star Wars references make me ridiculously happy. I've seen a few episodes from the current season, but mostly have been watching old ones via Netflix. This is one of those shows that I don't want to rush to catch up on; it deserves to be savored slowly.

The Twilight Zone: This show originally set the standard for the eerie and unexpected, and despite the lack of color and CGI it's still an ample source of thrills and chills. There are also some fun guest appearances by everyone from Robert Redford to Carol Burnet.

The Hitchcock Hour:
Everyone knows that Hitchcock is the unparalleled master of suspense, but who knew that he was also delightfully sardonic, and vehemently hated commercial breaks? With appearances from Hitchcock sandwiching each episode of his show, here is a wealth of bite-sized spine-tingles and amusing, revealing glimpses into the mind of a film legend. The companion program is Hitchcock Presents.

Lastly, I can't link to them directly, but the Sci-Fi Drive-In is a positive goldmine for a fantasy lover. You can find everything from old Battlestar Galactica, to Buck Rodgers, to The Attack of the Killer Leeches, in what is really a brilliant collection of cheesy fantasy. Nerds of the galaxy, unite!!

Note: I'll probably edit this list to ten, once I've seen the premeres of Castle and Kings, which star Mal from Firefly, and have an interesting premise, respectively, but this is good for now. Also (disclaimer) I really do have a life... but with an office job that involves a good bit of mindless work like mass mailings etc, I actually work more steadily if I'm watching TV or listening to a book on tape. That's my defense, and I'm sticking to it... :P
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Moving: The 6 Valuable Tips I Wish I'd Known

My recent move went fairly smoothly, but more because of the hoard of friends my boyfriend produced to assist than because of any real organizational system on my part. This I regret, since the result was a jumbled mess that I'm still tripping over... Here are six observations that I fervently wish I had been more aware of three weeks ago.

1. Moving is about the best opportunity for purging available, so several weeks before The Event go ahead and start on that. Donate any items you don't like or use anymore, and separately box any others that you aren't sure of, but also aren't willing to part with yet. Keep that box sealed and just stick it in a closet somewhere at your new place; if in a year you haven't needed the contents, donate the whole box. You may not even remember what the contents are by that point... (such a great tip -- my guess is that it would work particularly well on kids). Few things are more exasperating than realizing mid-move that the box you're hauling down the stairs is half full of books you'll never read again...

2. If you're particularly worried about an item or two traveling safely (plants, your computer, antique books, the china piggy bank you got as a kid -- whatever it is for you) then move those yourself prior to your actual move. The peace of mind will be worth the extra hassle.

3. Pack up the "can't-live-without" items separately (or together rather). Think this category through from more than one angle, because it just might end up including some items that are less than intuitive, such as the suction-cup hook used to hang your loofah in the shower (who would have guessed that misplacing that little piece of plastic would be such a pain in the neck?). In hindsight, other items that would have been included on my list are: coffeemaker, coffee, measuring cup, tea bags, alarm clock, sheets, pens, and scissors. All of these went AWOL for a couple of days (or even a couple of weeks) post-move, and life was bumpier because of it.

4. Pack clothes and toiletries as though you were going on an overnight trip -- having those things consolidated and accessible will be invaluable. Particularly if you have to go to work at 7 the morning after the Event, and sleep too long because at that moment God is the only one who knows the whereabouts of your alarm clock....

5. Big plastic trash bags are great for loading up linens, plastic Tupperware containers, and other unbreakables that don't deserve the hassle of boxes -- use a marker to label the bags with their contents, so later you can find things easily.

6. Lastly... I recommend having drinks waiting in the fridge at new place -- whether you prefer beer or a bucket of frozen margaritas, you'll want refreshments for anyone kind enough to have helped you, and a cold one for yourself too (if you don't drink, substitute ice cream or something else similarly celebratory...) Moving can be a lot of stress and a lot of work -- reward yourself!

Note: Items 3 and 4 probably aren't imperative if you have a couple of days free after the move to organize and unpack, but if you're moving at the start of a work-week or things are otherwise hectic, I promise that both are worth doing.
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Forget Cable! Part 1: Free TV the Devestating Boredom Way

...and of course, what I mean by TV "the devastating boredom way" is "just the good stuff, yo!" I know that all my fellow Lost fanatics are already experiencing withdrawals from the lack of a new episode this week (as I was telling my friend at Casablanca, if it turns out that the show is a mind-control device being employed by some kind of cult, I will be among the hopelessly ensnared...) so I figured I'd try to fill in the horrible TV gap until next week with this excellent compilation of (legal) free TV available online. Who needs cable -- you've got me!

(I recommend right-clicking, because as far as I can tell they don't open to new windows from my blog.)

Alphabetically by genre we have:

Drama:
Heroes
Jericho
Kings
Lost

Comedy:
30 Rock
Arrested Development
The Gilmore Girls
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Just Shoot Me
My Name is Earle
The Office
Seinfeld

Mystery (detective/cop shows):
Bones
Burn Notice
Castle
House
Leverage
Lie to Me
Life
Veronica Mars

Sci-fi/Fantasy:
Angel
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dollhouse
Firefly
The Hitchcock Hour
The Medium
Star Trek
The Twilight Zone

Other (aka... if you're desperate):
Friends
Fringe
Monk
Psych

My childhood TV favorites:
Andy Griffith
The Flintstones
Gilligan's Island
I Dream of Jeannie
Scooby-Doo

Can you tell that my family didn't have cable when I was growing up? Also, that I'm a big Joss Whedon fan... I'll be following up later with a post of reviews, but if you interested in some free on-demand TV, or maybe even thinking of phasing out cable altogether, this is the way to go! Until then, if you need me I'll probably be off hiding somewhere, lest my roommate come after me in a rage for putting Friends on the "if you're desperate" list... *gulp*

Note: Let me know if there are any amazing shows that totally need to be on this list, but by some horrible oversight I've left off... I'm always looking to expand my TV repertoire. (dude, I managed to spell repertoire right on the very first try. That's so unlike me...)
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Free MP3s - Oren Lavie & Sufjan + Rap

If you're active in the blogger-sphere then you probably have already seen the amazing human stop-start-action music video for Oren Lavie's "Her Morning Elegance" (if you don't know what I'm talking about then right click now and find out... you'll be ever so glad you did). So imagine my delight when I found the song currently available for free on amazon! "Elegant" is a good way to describe this track, with the understated vocals gliding over a melody that seems to become more upbeat even as you begin to catch the poignancy of the lyrics. With lines like, "she fights for her life as she puts on her coat, and she fights for her life on the train," this dreamy piece will be especially powerful for anyone who has come through depression and perhaps still remembers a little too vividly the determination needed just to get through each day.

Ok so, do you like Sufjan? Do you like rap? What about the two... together? (I bet you didn't see that that coming!) If you're intrigued, then check out the host of free downloads on the "mixtape" Illinoize available here. I'll tell you now, you may just be impressed in spite of yourself... it's definitely Sufjan like you've never heard him. I'm still a little indecisive myself -- needs a lil more of Sufjan's vocals maybe? -- but I think I might love it. Haha! Give it a listen! I need feedback on this one y'all...

Lastly, check out iTunes' current Cancion de la Semana -- it has a great reggaeton beat that will make a nice addition to your "working out" or "cleaning the house" mixes. And yes, I'm aware that the lyrics of most raeggaton, if I could only understand them, would probably make me blush and glare... so I count myself lucky that the Spanish is way too fast for me to catch, and I can enjoy the tunes in peaceful ignorance.

Download away folks! And have fun. :)

Edit: Also just in -- apparently you can get the Bible free on the Amazon/Kindle site right now. Check it out!
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Celebrate Big Picture Day (your future will thank you!)

I just stumbled across this post at The Part Time Perfectionist, and it was really what I needed to hear at the moment so I thought I'd pass it on... The gist:

Haven’t you heard? It’s Big Picture Day. Today you are not allowed to think about the 74 unread emails in your inbox, the fact that you only have two clean pairs of socks left, or any everyday tasks. Today you should discover the meaning of life, rethink your career path, or come up with a new business idea.

Take this moment to pause in whatever you're doing ("silly Sarah Eliza," you think, "obviously right this moment I'm reading blogs...") and remember the three things that are most important to you. A good rule for this one: you shouldn't have to think too hard about it. Those three things (or five, or eight) should be immediately obvious to you... If they aren't, then it's probably safe to say that it's time for a priority check. Next, do the whole "visualize yourself in five years" thing. Are your current actions/decisions in line with where, and who, you see yourself being? If that's where you want to end up, then common sense very plainly states that that's the direction you need to be heading today.

Lately this has been hard for me; I've been far too easily bogged down and discouraged by details and the hectic day-to-day. Celebrating a Big Picture holiday is just what I need. Don't put it off! It might be a pain today, but it won't be any easier to find time for it tomorrow or the next day either. Break through the inertia now, and use this moment to take a long clear look at the Big Picture. :)
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Freebies to Start the Weekend Off Right

Guess what! Tomorrow (Saturday) is free ice cream day at Bruster's! You might ask what is required of you in exchange for a waffle-cone full of no-cost deliciousness? Why just a little public humiliation of course. That's right, it's a pajama party at Bruster's and you're invited. When I was growing up my family never ever would have missed PJ weekend -- the whole family made our robe-and-slippers-clad way to Bruster's every year quite faithfully. One random weekend when we were especially sugar-starved, our family planned out a whole scam of how we were going to show up at the ice cream shop in our PJs and pretend to be confused about the day, in the hopes that the scooper-people would take pity on us and sneak us a couple of cones... Planned, but never enacted -- we kept our self-respect that far anyway. It's a fun little event though, especially for kids and/or sugar-addict adults with a high embarrassment threshold, so check it out!

Animal lovers, now it's your turn! Get a sample of Greenies' Dog or Cat Food here. You eat healthy, why shouldn't your pet?? I hope I hope I hope I'll have a cat soon... keeping my fingers crossed...

If you've got highlights or other hair coloring than this next sample is for you -- it's L'Oreal "Ever Pure" shampoo, a "sulfate free color care system" designed to protect your color from fading and stripping. I've liked some of L'Oreal's other color-protecting shampoos, so I dare say
the advertising might even be true...

Enter this "contest" for a free burger at Ted's Montana Grill! Vegetarians, y'all can go ahead and skip this one... I give you permission. But being a huge fan of Ted's myself, I have a hard time imagining any omnivores being like, 'eh, that's not so exciting...' though I'm sure non-vegetarian Ted-haters are out there somewhere just the same. I like Ted's a lot for the food, but also enjoy them for the environmental aspect, getting a huge kick out of the powdered soap, non-plastic straws, and toilets with the flush-options. It kind of feels like playing in an exhibit from "Future Land" at Disney World. But yeah, whatever your motivations are for liking Ted's, this is a great promotion!

Lastly, for the Bible-reading, Christ-following readers, here is a great page of free Christian audiobook downloads. I'm not particularly familiar with the one featured for this month, but there is material from NT Wright, Charles Spurgeon, and John Piper offered as well, so I'm pretty sure you can find some worth-while listening.

That's all for this week! Have some fun with freebies to start your weekend off right. :)
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A Saga of Moving: Snow and Appreciation

My roommate and I were unlucky enough to have our moving weekend be one of the most inclement that Atlanta has seen in a while... beginning with rain off and on Saturday, followed up by a generous serving of slushy snow and high winds on Sunday. For a while it was even storming and snowing simultaneously -- a phenomenon of "thundersnow" that created a bit of a twitter-buzz among my friends. The whole weather situation was doubly frustrating for me because not only did it get in the way of the moving thing, but on the rare occasion when it snows here my top priority is supposed to be a good long walk and some snowballs to toss, and the circumstances made that impossible. Grrr. To rub it in even more, my neighbors were out all day in full force, building impressive snowmen of shapes and proportions rarely seen in the South. By Sunday evening, those things were everywhere! If I were worried about an arctic invasion of some kind, I would have been nervous about the appearance of so many sentries... but as things were, I was too busy hauling the contents of my old apartment to my new one to give them the proper appreciation.

I owe a huge thank you (Thanks guys!) to those who were helping us with all that hauling, cuz without them my roommate and I would likely still be out there wrestling with furniture now. We finished within a few hours, thanks to their help, though things are still all jumbled up in the new place three days later. Getting ready for work Monday required an elaborate search just to find the bare necessities, such as shoes and the coffeemaker... my alarm clock has yet to surface, to my deep distress. I may or may not have been late to work this morning... I plead the 5th.

Rambling and snow-distracted as this post is, it's designed to be part 1 dealing with the saga of moving -- both the general drama, and my own particular experience of it. I'll be following up in the next day or so with a post-move perspective on things I wish I had been aware of a week ago. The tone will be rueful; the content edifying. And it will probably take the form of a list. Lists are so clear, and simple, and orderly... traits my life could do with more of at the moment. Stay tuned! :P
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Lost: A love octagon and shenanigans in the past

*mad spoilers* Oh crap! This episode of Lost was crazy. And unexpected. And so good. Sawyer et al are trapped in the past, part of the Dharma project, and experiencing the three years of time just like the Oceanic 6. And Sawyer and Juliet are together??? I kind of want to cry foul, based on the fact that now we've romantically paired Juliet, Kate, Sawyer, and Jack basically every single way possible (barring Kate/Juliet and Sawyer/Jack, which seems unlikely even for Lost). Forget love triangle, this is like a love heptagon or octagon... I'm not even sure what that would be. Only... from the little we saw, Juliet and Sawyer genuinely seemed to have a healthy, affectionate relationship. And we really haven't seen very many healthy relationships in this show -- not even Rose and her husband, who after a lovely, promising beginning of mutual understanding and support, seemed to develop a downright distaste for each other that they manifested in grappling for power and petty bickering. So, I think I just switched allegiance from Kate to Juliet. Or rather, I'll be honest, my allegiance has always been for Sawyer's redemption and happiness, and I've switched to hoping that he can find that with Juliet rather than Kate. Especially after Kate's little drop-by-Jack's-for-a-lil-somethin'-somethin'-and-then-rush-off-without-a-word routine. Whatever happened to Aaron, it 1) better have been entirely out of her hands and 2) had better have been pretty traumatic to justify her behavior, or I'm going to lose all patience with her. I'm still upset about Aaron's disappearance too by the way -- any theories on where's he gotten to (please God, let him be all right...) are very welcome.

So. The Losties are trapped 20 years in the past. Will this whole season be set in the by-gone Dahrma initiative? How will they get back to the proper place in time? Will Sawyer and Juliet stay together? What's been happening to Locke, and where's Sun and Ben? Is a child-Ben running around the island currently, and can two Ben's exist in the same place at the same time?? Am I missing any other hugely glaring questions for the moment? And what did y'all think of this episode? *whew* Time for some sunshine and green tea, I need a break...
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