TV

In my spare time (haaaaaaaa) I do one of two things.  I either read or watch tv.  Or sometimes I do both at the same time. 

Lately, here’s what I’ve been watching/re-watching:

Mad Men.  There are just no words to describe this show other than completely brilliant.  I’ve been through it about 4 times now and it gets better each time.  Jon Hamm?  Amazing.  Christina Hendricks?  Amazing.  Elizabeth Moss?  Amazing.  I love, love, love this show so much.  And according to the online history buffs, this show is COMPLETELY historically accurate.  PS:  It’s a PG-13 show. (Netflix)

Blacklist.  I’m now re-watching it for the second time.  I haven’t watched Season 4 yet, because I wanted to go back and watch Seasons 1-3 again.  This is a suspenseful, somewhat gross (at times) show.  James Spader plays Raymond Reddington, who is on the FBI 10 most wanted list.  He turns himself in (in the pilot episode) and makes a deal with the FBI that he will help them catch criminals out there that they don’t even know exist (all on the ‘Blacklist’) in exchange for SOME freedom.  I LOVE James Spader.  He is so delightfully creepy in this….he’s the bad guy you root for.  Well, I root for him (my husband thinks I’m crazy). (Netflix)

Grey’s Anatomy.  I was WAYYYY late on the Grey’s Anatomy bandwagon.  I didn’t start watching it until maybe 5 years ago?  Whenever it first appeared on Netflix.  I LOVE this show.  I’ve been through it multiple times.  And it’s still going!  Season 14 starts soon.  I love the characters, the emotions, the medical stuff, all of it.  It’s definitely ‘binge-worthy’.  Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is one of the best characters of all time.  She left the show a couple of years ago.  But it’s still good! (Netflix)

Bob’s Burgers.  Again….I was late to the game on this one too.  I started watching this show just a few months ago.  It is laugh-out-loud funny.  Every episode.  It’s animated.  It’s about the Belcher family, who own a (usually-failing) burger joint in a coastal town.  They are weird, they have three weird kids, and even weirder friends and family.  My favorite character is Gene, the son.  His one-liners are fantastic.  He walks around with a keyboard that makes fart noises.  Or he walks around in a hamburger costume.  Just a couple of his many charms.  The mom (Linda) and the oldest daughter (Tina) are both voiced by men.  Which is weird at first, but then you get totally used to it and it makes everything funnier.  The parents are so supportive of their weird kids and it’s just endearing and hilarious.  (Hulu)

This Is Us.  If you’re one of the few people on the earth who haven’t heard of this show yet or even watched it yet, drop what you’re doing and go watch it NOW.  My husband and I watch this together every week and it is AMAZING.  Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia are awesome.  And the story lines are SO good.  (NBC)

So if you have Hulu or Netflix or cable or the NBC app and are looking for something new to watch, check out these shows.  You will laugh.  Or cry.  Or both!

June

My sister came to visit at the end of June!  We had a ball.

 

She arrived on a Wednesday afternoon.  I picked her up at the airport and we went to lunch.  Mexican food, of course.  Then we did a little shopping after she unpacked.

On Thursday we hung out close to home, went to the pool, and just got ready for the big event:  our Regional Convention!

 

It was wonderful.  So many good talks and new videos.  It was a small convention (we have multiple ones here in ABQ, and I believe this was the 3^rd one).  Our highest attendance was 2,900.  Which was perfect….none of us are fans of large crowds.

Each day after the assembly we would go home, take care of the dogs, get takeout from somewhere, make lunches for the next day and then watch Doc Martin on Netflix.  So funny!  We somehow established a routine in those 3 convention nights.

 

 

It was so nice having my sister here.  And I pretty much got her all to myself!  We are so much alike and get along so well that it’s so incredibly easy to be around her.

What's Up

So I've been AWOL for a bit of time on the blog.  I've been busy!  That's my only and usual excuse.  But it's the truth.

I've been on a major 'tidying-up' kick.  That blog post is coming soon, but probably not until after my two trips coming up.

So for now, here's a little somewhat random blog post.

*My mom told me about this nail polish:

It's a gel polish so I thought I would give it a try.

I really like it!  It stayed on much longer than regular nail polish.  I will definitely pick up some more colors.

*My iPad started to get REALLY glitchy, so I got a new one.  I chose to go with another iPad mini.  I just love how it can fit in my purse.

I got a purple Speck case for it this time.  I love the Speck cases.  They always provide great protection.

*I'm watching this:

It's soooooo good.  But I've only watched the first 3 episodes, so no spoilers please!

*Oh, and I got all of my hair chopped off.

My hair hasn't been this short in quite some time.  But I really like it.  My hair grows REALLY fast, so it's never a huge deal for me when I get it cut short.

And that's all for now!  I'll try to be a better blogger, I promise!

HIMYM

I just finished the series How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.  It was nine seasons (this has taken me years by the way, because it definitely didn’t ‘hook’ me).  It follows the lives of 5 New Yorkers, and is narrated by ‘Ted’, telling his future children how he met their mother.  Ted is considered the main character, he is an architect whose sole purpose in life is to meet ‘the one’ and have kids.  His best friends are Marshall and Lilly (who are a couple), Barney (a single womanizer) and Robin (the ‘newbie’ in the group).

Here are my thoughts (WARNING:  MAJOR SPOILERS): 

Okay, so over seasons 1-8, here’s what happens.

Marshall and Lilly get married.  Ted dates various women (including Robin).  Marshall and Lilly have a kid.  Barney is….Barney.  Eventually he and Robin starting dating, and get engaged. Ted is still single.  And yes, through seasons 1-8 the ‘mother’ is mentioned, but never shown.  Her yellow umbrella is shown multiple times and she and Ted have various ‘encounters’, but never speak and never know they are in the same place at the same time.  Example:  she took an economics class that he accidentally taught when he was in the wrong room at the University.  Stuff like that.

Season 8 ends with the whole clan getting ready to head to the Hamptons for Barney and Robin’s wedding. 

Season 9 is the last and final season.  I am still trying to decide if Season 9 is brilliant or maddening.  Here’s why.  The entire season (all 24 episodes) takes place over a 3-day period:  Barney and Robin’s wedding weekend.  How they were able to pull this off is amazing to me and also incredibly frustrating.  I found myself wanting to skip episodes to just get to the end already, but in this show it’s pretty important not to skip episodes.  Especially during the last season.

The season is packed full of flashbacks and flash forwards, especially in the last two episodes.  In a nutshell, here’s what happens:  Barney and Robin get married, stay married for three years and then get divorced (this is no surprise).  Barney reverts back to his old womanizing ways, gets someone pregnant and has a little girl.  Robin is a successful newscaster who travels all over the world.  Lilly and Marshall are pregnant with their third kid, and Marshall is appointed a judge in Queens.  Ted meets ‘the mother’ (whose name is Tracy) at Barney and Robin’s wedding, they have two kids, then get married, then the mother gets sick and dies.  No, I’m not kidding.  And then, 6 years after her death (we are finally at ‘present day’), with encouragement from his kids, Barney steels the blue French horn (the grand gesture he made for Robin in the very first episode), and goes to Robin’s apartment and they smile at each other and it is implied that they will get back together.

In general, it is a very funny show.  They cleverly weave stories together and have both flashbacks and many, many flash ‘forwards’, which keep you interested and watching.  However, in my opinion it is at least 3 seasons too long.  It probably should have ended at season 6 or 7.  My other big hangup with the show is that Ted and Robin were my two LEAST favorite characters.  And most of the show was focused on them.  So at times it was hard to keep my interest.  I wanted less Ted and Robin and more Lilly and Barney.  Plus, I SWEAR that some of the plot lines were taken straight from Friends.  Oh, how I miss Friends. 

My favorite characters?  Lilly and Barney.  Lilly is  hilarious and slightly crazy and Barney, although he is a disgusting womanizer, is so so funny and even lovable.  Oh, and Tracy was also one of my favorites.  It’s too bad they waited until Season 9 for her to be a ‘regular’.  I mean I get why they didn’t introduce her in like season 7, but she was so likable and quirky and funny.  It would have been nice to have more of her in the other seasons.

So in a nutshell, it made me laugh but I will probably never watch it again.  Nine seasons is a lot, and unlike other shows that have run for that long (Friends, Seinfeld, etc.) this show felt redundant and they just drug it on for way too long.  But it’s a nice ‘fluffy’ show, something to have on in the background if that’s how you watch TV. 

Filming

There are a lot of movies filmed here in New Mexico, especially in or near Albuquerque.

The other day I took the road just south of the building where I work (which butts right up against an Indian Reservation) and I saw this odd looking structure with Mexican flags flying on top of it.  Huh?  And then it hit me.  They are FILMING here!  What’s being filmed now? 

This:

Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt have been in town for a few months now.  And the Mexican border patrol has been recreated about 6 blocks from where I work.  Interesting!    

What else has been filmed here?

The Avengers (portions of it….mostly the beginning in the rail yard where Loki makes his wonderful appearance).  Am I the only one that thinks Loki should have his own movie??  I love him!  He is like the hated villain (he’s SUCH a jerk!) that you can’t help loving.

The Lone Ranger (the one with Johnny Depp)

Armageddon

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

3:10 to Yuma

City Slickers

Cowboys and Aliens

Hang ‘Em High

Independence Day

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Jarhead

John Carter

No Country for Old Men

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Transcendence

Transformers 1 and 2

True Grit (the newer one)

Young Guns

Young Guns 2

There are many, many more.  The main reason why so many movies and shows are filmed here are because of the discounts and tax breaks.  Production companies get HUGE discounts for filming here instead of California or any other location. 

And TV shows?  I couldn’t find a list, but here’s the ones I know off the top of my head that have been filmed here:

In Plain Sight

Longmire

Manhattan (this is really good….we’re watching it now.  It’s about the Manhattan project in Los Alamos, NM)

Lonesome Dove (the best miniseries ever)

And of course, the show that New Mexico (and Albuquerque in particular) will be known for forever.  The show that was not only filmed here but took place here as well.  The show that practically swept the Emmys last night:

Last night, Bryan Cranston won his 4^th Emmy for playing Walter White.  Anna Gunn won her 2^nd for playing Skyler White.  Aaron Paul won his 3^rd for playing Jessie Pinkman.  And the show itself won best Drama, the top award of the night (2 years in a row).  It’s over now, so no more filming, although they are now filming a spinoff, ‘Better Call Saul’ in Albuquerque.  Both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul fell in love with the area and bought houses here, which they are keeping even though the show is over.  Bryan Cranston gave a shout out to New Mexico last night during his acceptance speech. 

There are ‘Breaking Bad’ bus tours that will take you to different filming locations around town.  They are constantly booked.  There is blue rock candy everywhere.  Blue donuts (if you’ve seen the show, you’ll know what I’m talking about).  The Albuquerque, New Mexico economy has benefited greatly from having Breaking Bad here for the past few years.

We’ll see how Better Call Saul does.  Usually spinoffs don’t fare well, but you never know.  It may do well just because Breaking Bad has a huge following.  It (BB) currently has a 9.6 rating on IMDB.  I believe it’s the highest rated TV show on that site.  For a movie or TV show to get above a 9 is rare (The Shawshank Redemption is the highest rated movie with a 9.3).  Fun fact:  The exterior that they use for Saul’s office is right next door to the local store where I buy dog food.  Ha ha. 

I drive by I-25 Studios twice a day (on my way to work and back) and lately the lot is always packed with cars and trailers.  It’s a little exciting.  I always think…who’s in there?  What are they doing?  When will the movie come out?

So next time you watch a movie, look to see where it was filmed!  Maybe it was in my neck of the woods. 

Random

*My allergies have been so bad today that my eyes are itching and burning and I've sneezed 17 times tonight (yes, I've been counting).

*My husband is hanging out with a friend tonight so it's been just me and the puppies hanging out at home.  Watson has de-stuffed his Spiderman toy and Ducky.  And I have been following him around picking up the stuffing.

*I've been watching That 70's Show on Netflix.  Well, in the usual way that I 'watch' television....on my iPad either while in the kitchen or at my desk while doing some other project.  Like blogging.  Ha ha.  Anyways, some of the episodes are really funny and some are just stupid.  Kitty and Fez are my favorite characters.  Debra Jo Rupp is awesome (she played Alice, Phoebe's much older sister-in-law on 'Friends')

She's super funny.

*I've been working on my desk tonight.  I did a smaller project last night, which I will also blog about.  It feels really good to get these things done!  I need to tackle the kitchen and the office next.  The office won't be bad.  The kitchen is another story.

*My husband is awesome....he went to Costco today (he's off this week) and got all of our usual stuff.  He remembered everything....with no list!  I was very impressed.  

*Work has been nuts, but the days are going by super fast.  However when I come home I'm pretty beat.

I think that's all.  Sorry this was a boring random update, but I can't really see anymore due to the itching and burning and I need to take my contacts out.  Good times!

Sick Day

Last night at 2:30 in the morning I got sick.  I won't go into the details, but it was not pretty.  Or fun.  I fell back asleep around 4:00, and then woke up around 5:30 and got sick again.  At that point I texted my boss and told her I wouldn't be in.  I feel back asleep and stayed in bed until 11:30.

After I woke up I took the dogs out and came back in and tried to eat something.  I laid on the couch for a while.  My husband came home early because he too was not feeling well.  We watched two episodes of Sherlock.  I slept for another two hours.

I think my body is trying to tell me to slow the heck down.

We have been so busy lately and I think it just all caught up with me today.  Physically, I still don't feel quite right, but I'm hoping by tomorrow morning I will be better.  I think all of the sleep I got today will help.

We have a very busy couple of weeks coming up, pretty much starting this weekend.  I have to work Saturday morning.  Saturday at 4:00 we have our French meeting.  After meeting there is a gathering for a new family that joined our group for Nigeria.

My husband is also starting a new job this month and he will be in California for an entire week for training.  The following weekend we will be in Arizona for our convention.

So lots of activity in the next few weeks.  I'm going to try not to do too much, commit to too much and just SLOW down during all the activity if that is possible.  I don't want to get sick again.

The ONLY good thing about being sick though is watching TV.  My husband and I have been watching Sherlock on Netflix (the BBC version).  We are on Season 3.  It is so so good.  My only complaint is that each episode is like an hour and a half (which explains why each 'season' is only 3 or 4 episodes).

It is, as the British would say, brilliant.

And I'm finally getting around to Season 3 of Call the Midwife.  

It too, never disappoints.  I guess I'm on a BBC kick today.  Right now I'm holed up in the bedroom on my super comfy bed with my 7-up and Pepto chewable tablets nearby.  And I'll probably be sleeping within an hour or so.

The West Wing

I realize I’m late jumping on the bandwagon, but I finally finished the entire series of The West Wing.  I have a few thoughts:

*I totally get what all of the hype was when it was airing (1999 – 2006).  The writing was phenomenal.  The characters were fantastically cast.  The dry humor was spot on.

*It was WAY too political for me.  Yes, (as my mother-in-law points out) it IS called ‘The West Wing’.  So yes, I knew it would be political.  However, I was hoping they would delve a little deeper into the personal lives of each character.  And they do, but it wasn’t until sometime in season 2 that I seen one of the character’s apartments. 

*My favorite character, hands down, was C.J. Cregg.  She was the White House Press Secretary and then the last couple of seasons (SPOILER ALERT), she was the White House Chief of Staff to President Bartlett (Martin Sheen).  I loved everything about her character.  I believe Allison Janney won a couple of well-deserved Emmy's for her role as Claudia Jean Cregg.

*My second favorite was President Bartlett himself.  And his personal assistant, Charlie (Dule Hill).  Lovely people.

*Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) was probably next on my list, although he left around Season 4 I think.  I’m discovering that I am kind of a Rob Lowe fan too, because I adore him on Parks & Rec.

Overall, I enjoyed the series.  Honestly though, I didn’t pay much attention to all of the political stuff.  It is on Netflix streaming if you’re interested, and it has an 8.8 rating on IMDB (which is very high).  We own the series on DVD as well, because my husband is a big fan and has seen the series a few times.  I think he loved that I was finally watching it and showed interest, ha ha.

Entertainment

Just to warn you, I'm going to start rambling on again about movies and television.  I swear this is not an entertainment blog, regardless of the title of this post.

I feel the need to emphasize once again that I do not watch TV and movies all the time.  I maybe watch one hour a day of TV during the week.  A little more on the weekends.  We are busy and don't have tons of time.  I have been known to pop in a movie or series in my portable dvd player and have it playing on the kitchen counter while I'm making dinner.  Or folding laundry.  I have to multi-task.  

So even though I am not spending 24/7 in front of the screen, I still add to my collection.  I think it started when I was living in my first apartment and had no money, no cable, and no internet.  But what did I have?  I had a tv and DVD player.  That was my entertainment.  Movies and TV series that I already owned.

So, when I realized that I got 3 paychecks this month, I set aside $100 for myself to spend at Amazon and Target to splurge a little.  My bounty came today!

Never Been Kissed - on sale for $4.75 on blu ray at Target.  I couldn't pass it up!

Parks and Rec, Season One - this is becoming my new favorite comedy series, so I decided to slowly buy them on DVD.  SUCH a funny show!

How to Make an American Quilt - an oldie, but goodie.

That Thing You Do - Another great one!  And who doesn't love Tom Hanks?

Mad Men, Season 6 - I got sucked in after the first season.  (sigh)

The Young Riders, Season 2 - My favorite series as a 12-13 year old.  They released season 1 a few years ago, then season 3 a few months ago, and then season 2.  So, a little out of order, but my series is complete now!

So maybe this weekend I'll have some time to watch some of them - after work on Friday, dinner with friends Friday night, French service Saturday, French Bible reading class, then meeting.  Hmm.  I better fire up the portable DVD player!

(p.s. - all of the above came in well under $100, thanks to my free shipping on Amazon and sales at Target!)

Hart of Dixie

I'm a big fan of Netflix streaming, and honestly it's where I watch most of my TV and movies.

Recently, I discovered Hart of Dixie.

Here's the blurb from IMDB:

"New Yorker and new doctor Zoe Hart accepts an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work in his medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama.  She arrives to find he has died and left half of the practice to her in his will."

Currently on Netflix there are two seasons.  The third season is now playing on the CW I believe.  I've watched the first two seasons, and the best way I can describe it is Gilmore Girls meets Sweet Home Alabama meets Doc Hollywood.

The setting is the fictional gulf coast town of Bluebell, Alabama.  It is a charming, VERY Southern town.  I've never lived in the south, so I'm not sure how much of it is accurate.  Like....do they really have social groups like 'The Belles'?  Do they really sound like that?  Do they really bake a pie every time someone has a bad day?  Do they really have names like Lemon, Magnolia, and Cricket?

Either way, it's a cute show.  Sometimes the dialogue is cheesy.  But sometimes it is hilarious.  The town reminds me a lot of Stars Hollow, the town of the Gilmore Girls.  In fact, I've read that they used some of the same set (including the gazebo in the town square).  There are eccentric characters, townspeople, 'villains', and the mayor's (the black guy in the picture below) pet alligator named Burt Reynolds.

I am liking this show.  I am glad there is a third season, because things were left kind of up in the air at the end of season 2.

Here's the 'main' cast:

Yes, that is the guy from Friday Night Lights.  And yes, that is Nurse Betty from Pearl Harbor (who happens to be from Omaha, NE).  She plays the character that you hate at first, but eventually learn to love.

So if you have Netflix and are looking for a lighthearted (kind of) series to get in to, give Hart of Dixie a try.  There's something for everyone!  (oh, and if you like country music, which I don't, you will be thrilled...it is full of it!)

TV

I've posted a lot in the past about my favorite movies, but I don't think I've ever posted about my favorite TV shows.  Probably because I just don't watch much TV.  I'm busy, and quite honestly there's just not much on that I am interested in.

However, I do have some favorites.  Some are current, some are old.  If you're interested, keep reading.

(first....all of these pictures and descriptions come straight from imdb.com)

1.  Gilmore Girls:  "A drama centering around the relationship between a thirty-something single mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut."

My all time favorite series.  Seven seasons of drama, comedy, quirkiness, and just plain fun.  This is the perfect series.  I have watched the entire series multiple times.  I haven't kept track, but I'm guessing it's at least 10 or so.

2.  Downton Abbey:  "Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants."

My #2 favorite.  I was hooked after the first episode.  At first I didn't think I would like it because of all of the characters and didn't think I'd be able to keep track of them.  But the whole series is so beautifully done that it just sucks you in and all of the sudden you're so drawn into each and every story line.

Mary and Anna are my two favorite characters.  Mary is a strong-willed young woman with the whole weight of the world on her shoulders.  And Anna is just a saint.  

3.  The Office:  "A mocumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.  Based on the hit BBC series."

This show is amazing.  Season 2 was the best.  Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) in all of his glory.  It continued to go well even after Michael Scott left.  Season 8 lost me a little bit, but the farewell season (9) was absolutely amazing, and the finale was the best series finale I've ever seen.  Epic.

4.  Parenthood:  "A family tree with Zeek and Camille Braverman serving as the patriarch and matriarch.  Each family will face their own challenges, but how they propose to deal with them is what will keep them together or tear them apart."

I didn't think I would like this show as much as I did when I first seen it.  But Lauren Graham is in it, so I thought I would give it a shot.  I'm so glad I did.  It is, at times, an emotional roller coaster and I usually cry in every single episode (which is partly because of the music they choose...excellent).  It was renewed for a 5th season and I can't wait!

5.  Call the Midwife:  "The story is about a group of midwives based in East London in the 1950s."

This is another series that I was skeptical of...but now I love it.  A group of midwives that live in a house with nuns in the 50s spend their time delivering babies in the slums of East London.  It is so good....another masterpiece from BBC.

So there's my top 5!  Two of them are done, and 3 have many more seasons to come I hope!