Quarterlife

In light of my current stage of life, I tried watching that new NBC show, Quarterlife last night. I hadn't actually seen any advertisements for it b/c I never watch anything on NBC at all (oh, except Earl and The Office, but those have, of course, both been on hiatus), but I had heard about it some.

I kinda had thought/hoped it would be sorta a Big Shots/Cashmere Mafia/Sex in the City type show, but centered around 20-somethings just getting settled and starting their lives, rather than execs at the top of their game. Kind of one of those drama/comedy combinations that ABC has recently perfected so well. In reality, though...it was HORRIBLE!!! Did anyone else watch? What did you think? (Please comment)

The characters were these weird, inept "save the world/we can make the world a better place" overly idealistic kinda kids, that all lived in some frat house looking apartment where they played air hockey on the dining room table and like 8 people seemed to live. They had no professionalism and no clue how to handle themselves on a job, couldn't even dress properly for a job...couldn't even shave for work - or were just generally unemployed. Basically, they all looked rather immature.

Honestly, I was a little insulted that this is projected as the image of people in their "Quarterlife" stage. Maybe I'm an anomaly, but just about everyone I know at this age has a decent enough job, good place to live--most actually own their own homes/condos--present themselves well and actually know how to function in society. Not to mention, there was like no humor in this show at all (well, maybe a little bit of strange/mildly-awkward-situation humor at best...definitely no funny humor.

I actually had to give up on the show and turn it off about 30-45 minutes in. And anyone who knows me knows, I'll watch almost anything! Especially in light of the writers strike...these days basically anything that's not a rerun, I'll watch. I mean, I even sit through syndicated episodes of Reba if I'm home in the evenings! But if I hadn't been talking to people online and only half paying attention to Quarterlife, I wouldn't have even made it as far as I did. Very disappointing NBC...that's why you're the 3rd ranked (or are they lower?) network on network TV. (Well, actually...American Gladiators might have something to do with it too. And why is ER still on the air? Does anyone still watch that? It has to be in its 42nd season by now!).

PS - While writing this, I found this mention of the show and it's ratings, haha. Guess I wasn't the only one turning off halfway through. Actually, do a quick google search of the show and read any of the 100+ news articles that popped up about it. Apparently it pulled in the worst ratings for NBC in that time slot for like 20 years, haha. Soo...we probably won't have to endure too much more of that!

In case you're not familiar with the dance...

...this should help you understand the last video better. Same guy, but about 8 years ago or so.



Still laughing! haha

Seriously....I have not laughed so hard in a looooooong time!!

So I'm flipping through the channels tonight and I notice Showtime at the Apollo is on. Whenever I see this on TV, I usually stop to watch the amateur talent (just another random fact about Mark that you've gotta love!).

As soon as I flip on the channel, they had just introduced this guy and he's on his way out, rubs the Tree of Hope and walks up to the mic. I thought he looked a little...well...different, but you really kinda get all kinds on Showtime sometimes. Anyway...I couldn't figure out exactly what he was gonna do, but there was NO WAY I was prepared for what came next!!! As soon as I watched it, I got on YouTube to find a the video (it was a rerun from a couple of weeks ago). Seriously...check it out. You HAVE to watch this video...it has got to be the best video on YouTube and probably one of the best moments on Showtime!! Watch...




So...did you watch???

Was that not absolutely hilarious?! I was literally laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face!! It was one of those really good laughs where I was jumping up and down in my seat, clapping and stomping the ground all at once! I was probably one glass of sweet tea away from having an accident, haha. The best thing is...he really does a pretty good job of it! I mean, he's only a sequins dress, some high heels and a wig away from Miss Tina Turner herself! I was just not prepared for that one. Fortunately I have DVR so I could record it and watch it over and over and over again! haha

PS - I just watched it again....still have tears streaming down my face! Literally ROTFL!!

I'm Baaaaaaack!!!!

Yes...after my longer-than-expected hiatus, I have returned to the world of blogging. If only that hiatus had been spent sunning my self on the shores of some tropical island. Alas, it was just spent here, doing my usual boring life. Oh well.

Taking two weeks off from the blog almost got me out of the habit of things, but I wouldn't let it go that easily. I know my waiting public would be crushed without me. I couldn't let you all down like that! This post has been a couple days in the making since I do have 2 weeks worth of life to catch up on. Feel free to read it in sections.

THE MOUNTAINS

So I did spend the weekend in the mountains with my parents. Looking back, I guess I never really told you why I was going to the mountains. My aunt & uncle have had a house in the mountains for about 20 years now and we've always gone there for Thanksgiving and occasionally other times in the year. Recently my aunt & uncle bought some property across the road from their cabin and subdivided it into several smaller lots. My parents bought one of those lots and had their own cabin built on it since we've enjoyed going there so much. Their plan is to keep it as a second house for now and then when they retire in 5 years or so, split their time between there and a house in FL (where they currently live, although they'd probably sell their current house and get a smaller one). The house was just about done, so I was going up to help my parents move in furniture that they'd been collecting.

Nothing too terribly exciting happened there. I arrived late Friday night, sometime around 12:30ish or so, as I came directly from my last day of job #2. We were staying at my aunt & uncle's, since we don't have the CO on our house yet. Woke up Saturday and started assembling beds, moving dressers and what not with mom, while dad took the rental truck off to pick up some sofas they had bought from a store up there. The builder and his wife (who happen to be neighbors on the mountain) had told my parents they wanted to take us to dinner to celebrate the new house.

We were a little nervous as to where we might be going, as, after nearly 20 years of visiting the mountains, we hadn't really found any amazing restaurants up there. We also were unsure because we were assured that while this restaurant was good, we would blend right in wearing jeans there (that's not a combination I generally have much confidence in). Well, we ended up eating here. You can read the story on their website if you want, but basically, it's a little mountain lodge that hikers on the Appalachain Trail visit frequently for a good meal and nice place to stay while hiking. They had a little hiking store and some rooms to rent in addition to the restaurant. It actually was a good restaurant and we all had really good food. I ordered some ribs (which the server told me they referred to as "pork lolipops" haha! very down home!) What also made this trip interesting was that the restaurant was located in a dry county (yeah, those still exist, apparently). When they made the reservation, we were told that if we brought our own wine they'd give us glasses (it seems you're allowed to have it, just not buy it there). But when we got there, we found out that this place got a winery license last year or so and now makes their own wine...and, in this county when you are a winery, you're allowed to sell your own wine. So, in a rare treat in these mountains, we actually got to order a couple bottles of wine with our dinner. Of course, my mom doesn't drink wine, but fortunately she had a Jack & Sprite in the car (don't worry, she didn't drink alone...the builder, who was driving, had some wine on the way too). Anyway, everyone (myself excluded) got rather tipsy, but we all had more than plenty of food, lots of wine and good company. (Side note- I don't really know why everyone else was so drunk and I wasn't. I had at least two good size glasses of wine, just like everyone else, and the wine was apparently fairly strong. Guess I just have a better tolerance than the rest.) Although my parents had obviously met them, this was the first time I'd met the builder and his wife and they are really nice and very entertaining. They'll make good neighbors! All-in-all a great evening.

Then we went home, I watched Auburn almost beat LSU and went to bed while dad fell asleep on the couch. The next day we woke up, did a little more cleaning at the new house, then packed up and hit the road. Dad had to return the rental truck at some place down the interstate and then I took them to the airport so they could fly home. Of course, once he was in the car, it only took dad about 10 minutes to complain about my driving, but oh well. I quickly put an end to that! haha. After dropping them off at the airport, I went up to the South Park Mall and wandered around (I love that place). Then I hit the road back home. Nice weekend.

**FYI - The pictures are, in order: My Aunt & Uncle's Cabin; Our Cabin (the one in the back); and the view from our front porch.

COMPUTER WOES

As you well know, when I came back from the mountains I found that the power cord on my laptop was no longer working. I think the AC adapter was shot for some reason. After I convinced Dell they needed to send me a new power cord, I waited for it to arrive. Sure enough, a few days later a package arrived. Unfortunately, though it was only part of a power cord...and not the part with the AC adapter in it. I called them back and made them send me the correct part instead. Problem is...they sent it to the wrong address. Yeah...they sent the second power cord to my old work, since that was the address I had the computer shipped to originally like 2 years ago. I don't know how many times I have to tell Dell that's not my shipping address anymore. I get a call from the receptionist at my old job saying they have a package there for me. I had to go by that afternoon and pick it up. I didn't really want to go there b/c pretty much everyone around there I want to see any more I will meet outside of work, but oh well. I actually showed up just before the annual Halloween Party began (everyone brings their kids and hops them up on sugar and lets them run around like crazy around the building) so everyone was a little distracted and I didn't have to see too many people. Oh well, computer's up and running again and I didn't have to pay for it...yay!!

MORE WARRANTY FUN

Last week I took my car into the shop to get a general inspection done and I also mention that one of the wheels was making some strange noise. As you'll recall...the car's been making certain noises for a while and I don't know if this was the same noise or completely unrelated, but it got worse while I was in the mountains, so I thought I'd have it looked at. Turns out it had something to do with my CV joints and was going to cost about $1100 to fix. Thankfully, I bought a very comprehensive extended warranty on my car so it covered it. No cost to me. So here's the running tally of what that warranty has gotten me since I got the car about 2 and a half years ago:

• 3 new radios
• 1 new power window motor
• 2 adjustments to another power window motor
• air conditioner repairs
• new CV joints
  

Needless to say, without my warranty, this would be a rather expensive car for me to be keeping. I have about 25,000 miles left on my warranty, so, in about a year or so when those 25,000 miles are up, I think it will be time to be getting a new one. You all know what I want...

TV UPDATES

So, busy week in my TV world. I know I still owe you all so many editions of "What's in Mark's DVR?" but I do need to take a moment to comment on my shows. First off, Nip/Tuck debuted this week! Yay!!! I'll give the full dish on Nip/Tuck later, but I will say it is definitely my favorite show on TV currently. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure for me! The verdict is still out on this season...it's a bit campy so far, which is a welcome departure from the previous seasons which were a bit heavy, but I just hope they have crossed the line. We'll see.

In more important news...DWTS was a complete and utter shock! Sabrina got eliminated??!! That's disgusting and appalling and everything horrible. I know I said I hadn't particularly fallen in love with any of the celebrities this season, but Sabrina was far and away the most accomplished and superior dancer this season. The fact that the judges were completely shocked, with Carrie Ann having tears in her eyes, is a testament to the fact that this was uncalled for. I'm not necessarily accusing anyone of anything, but I will say if a hanging chad was involved, I wouldn't be entirely surprised. What's the protocol for a recount? By the end of last season, I was getting ready for a "They Were Robbed" season, where celebrities who got eliminated far too early would be invited back for another shot. Now I think it's almost necessary. Among others, Laila Ali, Mario Lopez, Vivica A. Fox, and now Sabrina, should all be invited for one all out dance war! (No, not like Carrie Ann & Bruno's new reality show, which will probably be lame.) I seriously was stunned for a couple of days and almost don't care how this thing turns out now. I'm disgusted.

***UPDATE*** While looking for a picture for this post, I just ran across this juicy little bit of gossip. At least she got something out of the show! It may not be the coveted shiny mirrored ball trophy, but I guess it's not a bad runner's up prize.

EXERCISING

Still running. Yeah, who would've guessed! It actually hasn't been as bad as it was when I first started. I decided I needed to run a little more frequently than I had originally planned if I actually wanted to get anywhere, but so far it hasn't been near as painful. After 1/2 mile nearly killed me, I pushed myself to running 3/4 miles. Yeah... thought I was going to throw up for a good 15 minutes after that one. I made it though. I've kept pushing myself and now I can do a mile and a half without feeling too bad. I guess this whole exercising thing has its benefits. I mentioned on the phone to my parents the other night that I went running. My dad's response was "What happened, is your car broken?" My mom said "You did what?" Apparently the thought of me exercising is surprising to more people than just me!

THE CAT'S MEOW

I was cat-sitting for some neighbors over the weekend. I don't think I've shared with you my sordid past with felines, but for now, lets suffice to say that the roommate & roommate's wife got an evil sick little cat when we were living together that I didn't get along with so well. Anyway, the neighbors' cats weren't so bad...I did only have to see them twice. The neighbors' house was a complete sty though! Literally, the kitchen floor was covered in laundry and there was a bowl of PJ sitting on the kitchen table which was leftover from a Halloween party I attended there a week before! And it's girls that live in this house!! Wow. Oh well, on the upside, they got a Wii not that long ago, so I stayed there for a couple hours on Saturday playing that while the cats ran around.

What's in Mark's DVR? - Dancing with the Stars

DANCING WITH THE STARS
Mondays, 9pm, ABC

I started watching this show last fall during season 3 and, let me say, I was hooked. Lame, I know, but I still love it and get sucked in easily. It's actually one of the few reality shows I watch (save for all those real estate/flipping shows...I pretty much watch all of them). I think I started watching it b/c a co-worker always raved about it, or maybe it was a friend, or maybe a combination of people, but anyway, the point is I started.

Here's some fun back story on Mark. For 6 years growing up (from 6th-12th grade) I took Cotillion Classes (and no, before you ask, this is not the same as Debutantes, it was definitely co-ed) . In these classes we learned etiquette, proper social skills, and, of course, ballroom dancing. I can't remember specifically what we learned, as I've taken a few other dance classes since then and they kinda blend together, but I know we learned to Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba, Cha Cha, and Swing. (Funny enough, I also learned to Tush Push there, as we would usually learn one line dance at our "casual night" each year.) I'm pretty sure there was at least one more, but I can't think of it. This actually was quite beneficial, as it not only taught me to dance and helped make me so etiquette focused, but also helped me not feel awkward around girls, as I had to ask one to dance once a week for years, and helped put me in some of the good social circles in school. If I still lived back home, I'd be quite well connected.

Anyway, so I know how to dance, which helped me like this show, since I actually knew what they were doing. And I was amazed at how well some of the celebrities were. I mean, granted they got intense lessons for several hours each week, but I know a lot of people can't even find a beat (ahem...Billy Ray Cyrus) so they wouldn't even stand a chance. The first season I watched I was pulling for Mario Lopez the whole time. He was an amazing dancer and ended up getting to number 2. In my opinion, he was better than Emmitt Smith, who won, but Emmitt did have a bit more charisma. Season 4, last spring, I was throwing my vast influence in the ballroom dancing competition world behind Laila Ali. I think when I first saw Laila do a ballroom dance I was so amazed at how gracefully elegant she looked (which was unexpected, considering she's a boxer) I knew she had what it took to go all the way. Sadly, she too was robbed, only getting to 3rd place...she definitely was better the Joey Fatone.

So far this season, I've not really fallen in love with anyone and am not vested in any of the competitors. I mean Mel B is good and should hang around for awhile, but probably doesn't have what it takes to win. Helio is also very good and is a bit unexpected in my opinion too. Sabrina is far and away the best and, barring any major mishaps, should go on to win it. I will say...her Paso Doble this week was AMAZING!!

While I always love the energy and sensuality of the latin dances, my two favorite dances by far are the Waltz and the Paso Doble. Anyway...that's my take on DWTS!

PS - I'm glad Samantha is back as co-hosting. She may have her ditzy moments, but she's much better than Drew LeChay was at it. He needs a real job...someone should tell him that he is not actually employed by DWTS. Oh, and at the risk of sounding like a complete sexist pig and being entirely inappropriate...but it was very clear with that dress she was wearing this week that she is very clearly breast feeding the new baby. Did anyone else notice that? Yikes!

What's in Mark's DVR? - Two & A Half Men

TWO & A HALF MEN
Mondays, 9pm, CBS

So here's a show I DVR each week, but probably more out of habit than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I do watch it, but I probably wouldn't be devastated if I ever missed it. I think I started watching it a couple years ago because a former coworker always talked about how funny it is...and because at the time it conveniently came on right after HIMYM. I've kept watching it, and it is a funny show, but it's kinda the same story every week. The kid in it is funny, and of course I love the deadpan humor of Berta, the housekeeper.

Now that I've started writing this, I'm realizing I don't have a ton to say about this show, haha. No fun back story, no great emotional draws, just a good old fashioned entertaining sitcom. It makes me laugh and I usually put it on in the background as I'm playing online or doing something else. I guess that's it...Two & A Half Men...see what you think!

...Oh! Here's a little random tidbit from me. It has always kinda bugged me about this show how Charlie Sheen's character, Charlie (creative, I know) almost always wears bowling shirts, cargo shorts and tube socks! How horrible is that look? And he's supposed to be the big ladies man who lands all the hot young bimbos...how many young bimbos do you know that would ever hook up with someone dressed like that; even if he does have a house on the beach in Malibu? Ugh!

What's in Mark's DVR? - How I Met Your Mother

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Mondays, 8pm, CBS

So this show is one of the rare few I actually have watched since the first episode. I initially took a chance on it b/c I felt I somewhat identified w/ the plot line and it has definitely grown on me more and more! Of course, for you to know how I identified w/ the plot requires a little back story...time to step into the Wayback Machine!

In the first episode of this show, you learn that Ted is sharing an apartment with his two best friends from college, Marshall and Lily, who have been dating since college. While many might think this would make Ted the perpetual 3rd wheel (even in his own home) he actually is an integral part of the relationship (well, aside from the sex...as far as we know) and the three of them actually work really well together. When Marshall announces to Ted that he is going to propose to Lily, however, Ted realizes that the happy little family he has grown accustomed to is about to change dramatically. It was time for Ted to leave the comforts of this home for a life (and relationship) of his own. This scenario is basically exactly the same as my life in college.

For two and a half years, I lived with a friend of mine and we got along great. About a month or so after we moved in together, he started dating a mutual friend of ours who I was equally close to (not in a romantic way, but we were good friends). After about a year of their dating, they got engaged and, just after graduation, they got married and moved on. Well, since the girlfriend-turned fiancee-turned wife (who shall henceforth be referred to as "The Roommate's Wife") and I already got along so well, (and since we lived across the hall from each other the first semester they dated) it somewhat became natural that our place would be the one they would spend most of their time at. Even though she never officially lived with us, she sorta became the third roommate (which was a little awkward when we actually had a third roommate b/c The Roommate and I both liked The Wife better than the new roommate, so she kept the title as #3 and he got bumped to #4, but I digress). Instead of me feeling like the third wheel, our little trio actually worked out well. When The Roommate wanted to discuss sports, or something that disinterested the Wife, he had me to talk with. When The Wife wanted to talk about superficial meaningless stuff like Will & Grace episodes or fashion or whatever, I was right there with a willing ear and ready opinion. And when the two of them wanted to move on to something deeply intellectual like literature, I had the perfect excuse to leave the room! Although I was happy for them when they got married, it was a little disappointing b/c to me, it was more like I was getting divorced from our happy little family, as they moved 250 miles away.

With that said, when I first saw the previews for HIMYM, I knew I had to jump on board, as it premiered only about 2 months after their wedding. I've been hooked ever since! It is LEGEN- (wait for it) -DARY! C'mon...I had to! (Incidentally, a former coworker has on more than one occasion said I remind her of Barney from the show...I love it!)

Here's a few more HIMYM links for fun...
Barney's Blog (Here's the blog from previous seasons)
SlapCountdown.com
Swarley

What's in Mark's DVR?

So it's been a few days since I've posted and, if I were a good blogger, I'd tell you that was because I was out creating fun stories for everyone to read (and by everyone, I mean those people who will some day in the future accidentally stumble across this blog and will be bored enough to read through the archives to catch up on all the fun Mark stories). Well, the sad truth is, future blog readers, that simply isn't the case. Since my last post, I've basically been working, doing a bit of yard work and sleeping. Oh yeah, and repainting my bathroom (random post for another time).

In lieu of a fun story, however, I guess I'll begin a series of posts about one of the best parts of the fall...new TV!! I know it may sound sad, but after a long summer of re-runs, I feel I've earned the right to be really excited about the kick off of the fall TV season every year. And, thanks to the joys of DVR, I actually get to watch all my shows, instead of having to rush home or risk missing one. (Honestly, how did we survive before this thing?) Anyway, I figure I'll take the opportunity to run through the list of shows I record every week (and maybe even a few that aren't in season now, but I love anyway) and tell you why I watch them, what I like about them and whatever else seems appropriate. This will also set me up perfectly to give reviews on certain episodes of my shows as time progresses. Yay! Something to blog about!

For the sake of archiving, and because I'm a tinge anal retentive and neurotic, as was previously discussed, I'm going to give each review it's own post.

I now present to you, my new series entitled "What's in Mark's DVR?"...