We had unloaded our bus after an eight hour ride from Istanbul to the retreat center in the middle of nowhere in Southern Turkey. The center staff showed us our wing of rooms and how to throw away our toilet paper instead of flushing it. They left, and it was only us, sixteen Americans, wondering how to spend the evening. I figured we might discuss plans for the retreat or do something spiritual like pray.
"Let's play Sardines!" Kathryn suggested with typical enthusiasm.
No. Not that. I had a fear of games that pitted myself against others in total darkness.
"With partners!" she continued.
That would be okay. Darkness and competition is always less frightening with someone else to either a) cuddle or b) blame.
"Our retreat partners!" Kathryn would not stop with the suggestions, but everyone else seemed fine with the latest addition. That made sense, because their partners weren't Jason.
Our team had two leaders. Chris was more of an exuberant puppy than a leader, jumping around with excitement and making sure everyone was entertained. He could bust out the spiritual comments, but those moments were shocking in their depth. It was Jason who held the team together, making sure we counted off to sixteen in the Grand Bazaar and ensuring everyone was safe at our previous hotel.
Jason was a great leader. But I could not imagine running around with him in the dark, discovering hiding places and fumbling with laughter. He looked equally unsure of this partner idea. That made sense; I wasn't exactly known for bringing the party. We would be the lamest team in Sardines history.
After Lauren and Graydon volunteered to hide first, Jason and I strategized.
"Do you want to go downstairs?" he asked.
"Sure."
We were tactical geniuses.
There were two huge rooms downstairs, filled with lines of bunk beds and wardrobes. It was more than creepy, but Jason didn't seem to care. "You go down that line of beds, and I'll check over here," he said. I obeyed, but only glanced at each lower and upper bunk. Finding someone's eyes staring out at me seemed scarier than losing the game.
At the end of the room we met and agreed to go upstairs. I could hear other teams shuffling in the darkness, giggling to each other and whispering plans. I mentally sighed. Jason and I were too similar in our introversion. This game was the opposite of fun.
We climbed the stairs into the looming darkness. Once again we had options as to which room to investigate first, so we paused on the landing. It was all very ominous.
"Boo!" something shouted to my right.
"YAAAAAAAAARRG!" I jumped and flailed my arms while screaming bloody murder. Mid-flail, the back of my hand collided with my assailant's face.
Tim staggered into dimly lit view and said, "You slapped me! Tricia? You slapped me!?"
I had. Hard. And I wasn't going to apologize for it. "You scared me to death!"
Erin appeared out of the darkness and asked, "Are you okay?"
It was then that I noticed the wheezing. Jason was bent double, laughing uproariously in some strange combination of little boy and old man. Then he lost his breath, and began inhaling deeply in raspy fits. I stared at him open-mouthed, astonished at his total lack of propriety. He looked completely ridiculous, and laughter burbled out of me. Tim and Erin joined in the hilarity, and the four of us fell against each other, repeating, "You slapped him!" again and again.
My eyes were wet and my gut was sore, but when we finally straightened up and regained some dignity, I looked at Jason, my partner. We smiled at each other.
And then we totally won the game.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Finding Myself in Others
Yesterday I hung out with Erin and Tim. We got to skype with Lauren (who is fiveish months into her Journeyman program) and phone Stephanie (who was flying back from conference where she interviewed for a Journeyman position). It was missions central!
And I love that. I love so much that these are friends I made in Turkey. We went on a mission trip together, and we became friends because we all felt like God was calling us to long term missions. We talked about it and did the whole college "I can change the world!" thing. But we didn't stop there! We are doing it! Lauren is out there, Steph is on her way. I'm working towards it, and Erin and Tim are waiting for student loans to get paid off so they can go.
I am so proud of my friends. And I'm so thankful that God brought us all together in January 2009 so that we could encourage and inspire and comfort each other the last couple years.
Also, I love being with people who get it. The other day, my grandpa tried to convince me that I should stay in the States because I don't want to. I get that God often likes to take people outside their comfort zone. But I fully believe that God creates people with passions and interests so that He can use them!
And traveling? Is SO MUCH a passion and an interest. While we ate lunch, Erin gave a speech like this, "When I'm overseas on a mission trip, I am more myself than anywhere else. I am happy and content. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Everything is perfect, even when it's not. That's where I'm me."
To which I said, "OMG ME TOO!" It's so great to hang out with someone who more than understands--who feels the exact same way. I am never happier than when I'm overseas--whether it's Turkey, Greece, Senegal, Germany, or hopefully, Mongolia.
I know God needs people in America. I intend to (and think I am currently) serving Him here in the States. But when so many people freak out at the idea of traveling temporarily, let alone permanently....it just makes sense to me that God gave me this desire and intends to use it.
Relatedly, I was feeling lonely today, because I was leaving Jackson and my friends. It struck me that everyone I hung out with was either married or in a serious relationship, so that added to the loneliness. But then I wondered, what if I met someone who didn't like to travel? What if getting married meant staying in one place to raise kids and not moving for twenty years? Even if I got married to someone truly awesome?
And...I don't think I'd want it. I want to get married, for sure. Sometimes I even want it now, not in several years. But I want a guy who is also passionate about traveling and seeing the world and experiencing new cultures. And I want that more than I want just a guy.
My wanderlust is stronger than my hormonelust, I guess. :)
And I love that. I love so much that these are friends I made in Turkey. We went on a mission trip together, and we became friends because we all felt like God was calling us to long term missions. We talked about it and did the whole college "I can change the world!" thing. But we didn't stop there! We are doing it! Lauren is out there, Steph is on her way. I'm working towards it, and Erin and Tim are waiting for student loans to get paid off so they can go.
I am so proud of my friends. And I'm so thankful that God brought us all together in January 2009 so that we could encourage and inspire and comfort each other the last couple years.
Also, I love being with people who get it. The other day, my grandpa tried to convince me that I should stay in the States because I don't want to. I get that God often likes to take people outside their comfort zone. But I fully believe that God creates people with passions and interests so that He can use them!
And traveling? Is SO MUCH a passion and an interest. While we ate lunch, Erin gave a speech like this, "When I'm overseas on a mission trip, I am more myself than anywhere else. I am happy and content. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Everything is perfect, even when it's not. That's where I'm me."
To which I said, "OMG ME TOO!" It's so great to hang out with someone who more than understands--who feels the exact same way. I am never happier than when I'm overseas--whether it's Turkey, Greece, Senegal, Germany, or hopefully, Mongolia.
I know God needs people in America. I intend to (and think I am currently) serving Him here in the States. But when so many people freak out at the idea of traveling temporarily, let alone permanently....it just makes sense to me that God gave me this desire and intends to use it.
Relatedly, I was feeling lonely today, because I was leaving Jackson and my friends. It struck me that everyone I hung out with was either married or in a serious relationship, so that added to the loneliness. But then I wondered, what if I met someone who didn't like to travel? What if getting married meant staying in one place to raise kids and not moving for twenty years? Even if I got married to someone truly awesome?
And...I don't think I'd want it. I want to get married, for sure. Sometimes I even want it now, not in several years. But I want a guy who is also passionate about traveling and seeing the world and experiencing new cultures. And I want that more than I want just a guy.
My wanderlust is stronger than my hormonelust, I guess. :)
Friday, February 25, 2011
I Hate Dichotomy!
Sometimes I am so happy, I get angry.
For instance, I am having a perfectly wonderful time here in Jackson. TOO perfect. I love staying with the Hughes family like duh. I love going to Walmart and knowing where the cold medicine is. I love having a friend who gives me coupons. I love eating at Chick-fil-a. I love sitting in Green Frog and talking to Ashley for hours. I love walking along the planked walkways of Cypress Grove in the crisp air, then climbing three stories to a stand that overlooks the muddy lake and wintered trees.
I love eating cupcakes. I love recounting humiliating stories. I love Dusty's sometimes hilarious quips, sometimes hilariously awful quips. I love Jennie's bursts of laughter. I love Seth being the simple dog. I love Hannah's overactive facial expressions. I love watching House with Ashley and knowing that she finds his bright blue-eyed stare just as attractive as I do. I love sleeping in a gloriously comfy bed.
Most of all, I love evenings at the Hughes' house, when the kids are asleep and Jennie and Dusty and I crash on their living room couches. I love that we all do our own thing (Dusty on his iPhone, me with my book, Jennie reading or on her laptop), but then watch a TV show or start a conversation or make a weird noise. I love how two of us always mishears and miscommunicates, but the third person inevitably understands and translates. I love how comfortable I am with them, how I don't bother to worry about smudged makeup or messy hair. I love that they are my Jackson family.
And I hate that I don't see them often. I hate that these visits, that slide into effortlessness, are deceptive. This feels like home, but it isn't. And that sucks.
*Also, I nearly ruined my sadness when I thought of that blog title. Because who can remember Brett Erlich's hilarious Best Sledding Fails with anything but fondness?*
For instance, I am having a perfectly wonderful time here in Jackson. TOO perfect. I love staying with the Hughes family like duh. I love going to Walmart and knowing where the cold medicine is. I love having a friend who gives me coupons. I love eating at Chick-fil-a. I love sitting in Green Frog and talking to Ashley for hours. I love walking along the planked walkways of Cypress Grove in the crisp air, then climbing three stories to a stand that overlooks the muddy lake and wintered trees.
I love eating cupcakes. I love recounting humiliating stories. I love Dusty's sometimes hilarious quips, sometimes hilariously awful quips. I love Jennie's bursts of laughter. I love Seth being the simple dog. I love Hannah's overactive facial expressions. I love watching House with Ashley and knowing that she finds his bright blue-eyed stare just as attractive as I do. I love sleeping in a gloriously comfy bed.
Most of all, I love evenings at the Hughes' house, when the kids are asleep and Jennie and Dusty and I crash on their living room couches. I love that we all do our own thing (Dusty on his iPhone, me with my book, Jennie reading or on her laptop), but then watch a TV show or start a conversation or make a weird noise. I love how two of us always mishears and miscommunicates, but the third person inevitably understands and translates. I love how comfortable I am with them, how I don't bother to worry about smudged makeup or messy hair. I love that they are my Jackson family.
And I hate that I don't see them often. I hate that these visits, that slide into effortlessness, are deceptive. This feels like home, but it isn't. And that sucks.
*Also, I nearly ruined my sadness when I thought of that blog title. Because who can remember Brett Erlich's hilarious Best Sledding Fails with anything but fondness?*
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Long Time Coming
I got a cold the day before I'm going to Jackson, which sucks, but I don't actually care! It reminds me of once when I got a cold in Craig 3, and I moaned around because that's fun. Ashley let me lay in her lap, and she played with my hair while I complained. Then she turned on the shower super hot and steamed up the bathroom so my nose would, grossly, start flowing again.
And I get to see Ashley Pashley on Friday! And Erin on Saturday! And Jennie and Dusty EVERY DAY! This weekend is going to be so much with the good. I cannot wait!
And I get to see Ashley Pashley on Friday! And Erin on Saturday! And Jennie and Dusty EVERY DAY! This weekend is going to be so much with the good. I cannot wait!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Burden of Sharing Opinions
In the last couple days, I have heard three different people repeat one of my ideas as their own. One was a girl from my Sunday School class, one was from my college Bible study, and one was a church elder. THIS IS FRIGHTENING.
I mean, obviously, I believe what I told them, and I am glad that they agree with me and are now sharing that idea with others. But. It puts me exactly in this situation: "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. James 3:1"
That responsibility is weighty. I believe that God is using me to spread my passion for missions and radical Christian living to my church family, but.....egads. I always thought I would be on the receiving end of teaching, and would therefore not have to worry about that verse. But now I am 22 and teaching two classes, and spouting off my opinions to anyone who will listen to them.
Like I said, I believe in my opinions like whoa, but this has reminded me to guard my words and my actions a little bit more. I don't want to be judged more strictly because my words or my example led someone else astray.
I mean, obviously, I believe what I told them, and I am glad that they agree with me and are now sharing that idea with others. But. It puts me exactly in this situation: "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. James 3:1"
That responsibility is weighty. I believe that God is using me to spread my passion for missions and radical Christian living to my church family, but.....egads. I always thought I would be on the receiving end of teaching, and would therefore not have to worry about that verse. But now I am 22 and teaching two classes, and spouting off my opinions to anyone who will listen to them.
Like I said, I believe in my opinions like whoa, but this has reminded me to guard my words and my actions a little bit more. I don't want to be judged more strictly because my words or my example led someone else astray.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Spoiling My Dog
When Misty was a puppy, we found out her main artery unusually split in two and went toward her outsides instead of her insides, meaning there was a very good chance she would die at a young age. She is twelve now, and we all thought she was going to die on Wednesday when she had a stroke.
But now she is back home on medications, and we are spoiling her for all she is worth. Because she's alive, her pathetic eyes as she stumbles into walls is now adorable instead of sad (okay, it's still a little sad, but she's alive!), and it is my joy to give her water from my fingertips because she can't be bothered to lift her head and drink from the bowl herself.
God allowed us to have many more years with Misty than we should have had, and it looks like we have her for a while more. She's supposed to fully recover in a month, and until then, I will sit beside her and pet her to sleep ALL THE TIME.
But now she is back home on medications, and we are spoiling her for all she is worth. Because she's alive, her pathetic eyes as she stumbles into walls is now adorable instead of sad (okay, it's still a little sad, but she's alive!), and it is my joy to give her water from my fingertips because she can't be bothered to lift her head and drink from the bowl herself.
God allowed us to have many more years with Misty than we should have had, and it looks like we have her for a while more. She's supposed to fully recover in a month, and until then, I will sit beside her and pet her to sleep ALL THE TIME.
Friday, February 18, 2011
30 Day TV Show Meme
The supposed love a mother has for her children makes my possible future intimidating, because I love my dog like whoa, so what will loving chillens be like?? Which is a weird segue into explaining the sad fact that my adorable puppy had a stroke on Wednesday and has been at the vet's ever since, and I WANT HER HOME NOW. To distract myself, I am about to embark on an epic 30 day TV meme in just. one. day. Get ready.
Day 1 - A show that never should have been canceled
Easy. Veronica Mars. I seem to be in the interweb minority, but I loved season 3! Season 2 was rocky, but they got it back together and made the show awesome. Three minor arcs instead of one big story? Totally okay by me. Veronica/Logan is my OTP for that show, but I can still appreciate the adorable Piz. And that finale! I am definitely in the minority here, but it was AWESOME! I wish there'd been five more seasons, but since they had to go out, they went out staying true to the show's themes. Nicely done.
Day 2 - A show you wish more people were watching
Please, like this could be anything but Buffy the Vampire Slayer, what with my constant "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SHOULD WATCH? BUFFY. YOU KNOW WHAT THIS REMINDS ME OF? BUFFY. WATCH BUFFY YOU CRAZY HEAD!" Sadly, I have only swayed one person to the side of the Buffster. And she is totally grateful.
Day 3 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
I don't think I'm even watching anything that just started. Let me google this. Nope. I tried one episode of Outsourced, but it was awful, so apparently I gave up on the entirety of freshman entries.
Day 4 - Your favorite show ever
Say it with me now: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This show just...AUGH. When I was a freshman in college, this senior girl who I really wanted to be friends with told me about this show, then brought two incredible cheesy boxed sets to band practice (with over the top romantic swoony scenes portrayed, EW). I intended to just watch a couple and return them with a bit more conversation fodder. BUT NO. Even though the first season is far from stellar, there was enough to keep me interested. And when season 2 hit me, OH MY WORD I just....I can't even. From there, it was done. I now understood why my roommate, upon hearing I had brought Buffy into our dorm, slammed me against a wall and screamed "Can we watch it NOW??"
There are 13 blogs that I check on a daily basis. One of them is a comic (xkcd what what!), two are authors, and eight are people who blog about Buffy. Even though the show has been over now for almost 8 years. There's so much to digest and analyze and enjoy, guys!
Like this stuff: The snappy and witty dialogue, for sure. There are hilarious one liners, epic speeches, and ordinary conversations that make my brain salivate. Joss Whedon should just, like, talk to me in his talky-talk way, and I'm pretty sure any problem would be fixed.
And there's the metaphors. Demons=life problems that must be slain! So totally applicable and encouraging! And when the easy metaphors (feel like everyone overlooks you at school, watch out or you might become invisible!) start feeling to pat, the world just explodes into moral ambiguity and grayness, and suddenly this show asks us how to deal with much harder issues--what do you do when you fear you will destroy the person you love? Can a desire for relational peace become a bad thing if you don't care how you achieve that peace?
And of course, the characters. Buffy is just a hero, plain and simple. She fights for good always, even when she doesn't want to be special, she just wants to hang out with friends and date pretty boys. Or when her life has fallen apart, and why can't people just take care of her? Or when her fighting seems to be destroying the people for whom she is fighting? Or when it requires her very life not once but twice? Or when she has made the ultimate sacrifice, found peace, and is once more thrust into the never-ending fight? SHE ALWAYS CHOOSES TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. She is a hell of a woman, and she is my hero.
Willow! She's adorable and shy, but there are serious issues underlying her friendly exterior that is just so true of all people everywhere. Joss refuses to let characters be stereotypes, so the best friend role that Willow seems to be playing becomes something so much deeper and dramatic and ultimately truthful (even if most people don't go through a little flaying stage along the way). Xander! He has no superpowers in a group of crazily gifted people, but he still works to find ways in which he can help, even when people try to convince him that he doesn't have to risk it. Giles! Cordelia! Oz! Anya! Andrew! And Spike! OH MY WORD, Spike. He is snarky, passionate, hilarious. He is often brilliant, and he can read people like a book, but sometimes he is horrifically dense. He fights for his soul because he loves Buffy, and after he's got it he realizes there is more to doing what is right than simply winning a woman's approval.
THIS SHOW, guys.
Day 5 - A show you hate
This is hard. I don't tend to keep watching shows I hate. Although Heroes got pretty awful, and still I watched to the bitter end.
Day 6 - Favorite episode of your favorite show
There's the obvious answer, which is Once More With Feeling, but watching that inevitably causes me to keep going and watch the rest of season 6, and once I've done that I have to watch season 7 too, so....that is more like a favorite fifth of the show.
Instead, I will say Something Blue. Because that is the episode that makes me laugh and laugh. Giles is blind, Buffy and Spike are weirdly in love, Xander attracts demons, and Willow mopes around so much that she is offered Anya's job. This is what I watch when I need a mini-Buffy-boost.
Or Conversations with Dead People, because the nerd in me just wants to shout, "KEEP TALKING, psych major vampire! You are explaining SO MUCH."
Day 7 - Least favorite episode of your favorite show
Hm. I will just ignore season 1 entirely, because that is too easy. I'll go with Doublemeat Palace, because I didn't need to be told that fast food restaurants are gross, and they almost went too far, and that old lady's head exploding into a snake demon? That's the kind of terror I expected from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, not something I wanted to be shocked with in my TV show.
Day 8 - A show everyone should watch
I'll go a bit more mainstream. Community! It's got a hilarious cast of misfits who adorabley find meaning and friendship with each other. Troy makes me scream with laughter every episode, and his adventures with Abed make me want to be so awesome. This show doesn't get bogged down with romance. They like to play with ideas, like "what if we did a Rambo episode? or one where we never left the room even though there was a puppy parade outside? or created a sheet fort that spread throughout the entire campus?" Funniest show on TV. Straight up.
Day 9 - Best scene ever
I'm so sorry, guys, but all I can think of is Buffy. Spike's crazy speech in Beneath You stands out. As does Buffy's leap off the tower in The Gift. And when Buffy kills Angel to save the world.
But okay, so here's something really unpopular. The other thing that came to mind is the last scene of LOST. Because I don't care! The idea of going into the afterlife sitting beside all the people who meant the most to you--that is BEAUTIFUL. When they all hug, and it's Charlie and Boone and Sun and Jin and these characters who died so tragically! But they're all together, and they're so HAPPY, because my word, they so deserve a little happiness. It's just wonderful.
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Fruits Basket! When Carah roomed with my Craig 3 sisters and I for one semester, we sat down to watch this anime out of getting-to-know-you-pity. And then we didn't leave the couch for three days so we could finish it. We laughed hysterically. We cried like, major tears. And I developed my second cartoon crush, because Kyo is just pure awesome bottled up in an angry kid (first was Dimitri from Anastasia, duh).
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Well, there's the horrible ending of Gilmore Girls. Not all of season 7--I loved Lorelai realizing that Christopher is awesome, and finally grown up enough to keep up with her. His wit matches hers! That is something to behold in wonder! But then it felt like the writers found out they were being canceled, and they didn't want to make all the Luke/Lorelai fans angry, so they hurried plot lines along and mashed things together and it sucked.
And Rory turned down Logan's proposal? I'm sorry, WHAT? You know he never recovered from that, and regressed into a partying bachelor who will never trust love again. Oh Rory, he would have totally gone on that campaign trail with you. What were you thinking?
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
The series pilot of Modern Family, because 1) it's hilarious, and 2) I've been along for many a "you don't know Modern Family? Well let's just watch it from the beginning so you can fall in love" party.
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
I loved Boy Meets World and Saved by the Bell like everyone else. And Home Improvement. But my most intense memories are of Digimon, because I was SO ASHAMED of loving it that I would lock myself in my parent's room every Saturday so no one would know I was watching it. Because of course no one ever thought that was strange.
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Come on. It's Spike, and it will always be Spike, whether he's comic relief, protagonist foil, or dramatic hero. I love him, I respect him, I get frustrated with him, I have a life size cut out of him (oh, dear Craig 3 sisters, you ruined my reputation for life with that present, and I am so grateful).
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Veronica Mars for the win! Her best friend is murdered, her dad is the town joke, she is ostracized at school, and she was raped but can't remember who did it. Does she wallow, as would be totally appropriate? NO. She goes around being the awesomest private detective ever. She hurts, and she gives up sometimes and makes stupid decisions sometimes, but she never lets herself be overcome. She is pretty much the embodiment of that 2 Corinthians passage about being hard-pressed but not crushed. Veronica is totally my girl crush of choice.
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
*sigh* Okay, I admit to watching several episodes of True Blood because Alexander Skaarsgard is a beautiful, beautiful man. Too bad Liz is going to marry him (since her dad thinks she will marry a Swede, and he is obviously choice #1).
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Does Firefly count? Because it is tragically mini! Thank goodness the funniest show on TV (that's Community if you're keeping up) has characters like Troy and Abed who have promised each other that, in the possible event of their murder, the other will make sure it looks like a suicide as a statement for bringing back Firefly. Show the Browcoat love!
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Chuck's is definitely awesome, but after four seasons, it is way too long! That is why I love that LOST's eerie and simple title sequence popularized the trend toward short.
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
I tend to love shows with big casts. Buffy's is great, as previously flailed about. But I have not yet talked enough about LOST! I think that show did the best at balancing and showcasing their immense (and continuously growing) cast. Ongoing mind-blowing story lines that were complemented and investigated from different angles by having each episode focus on a different character with flashbacks! Perfect.
There was Jack, the hero who got too much of a complex, then found his heroism again when it counted. There was Locke, who just never caught a break his whole. heartbreaking. life. And Kate, who ran so often she didn't know when to stop and appreciate what she had. And Sawyer, who tried so hard to cause pain so that he wouldn't be on the receiving end. And Hurley, who managed to face chronic bad luck with a sense of humor. And Jin and Sun, who overcame cultural and familial walls in order to become the most adorable married couple on TV. And Ben, who is evil and also fascinatingly manipulative. And everyone else. I loved them all, except for Sayid, Nikki, and Paolo.
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Buffy and Spike, Intervention. When Spike thinks its the Buffybot, but it's Buffy, and she realizes that what he did for Dawn was a major hero moment, and kisses him just barely, and then he realizes its actually Buffy herself, and oh! His face! And her eyes! It's so romantic.
Also Sawyer and Kate in season three when they think they're going to die so they kiss...etc...in a cage. HAHAHA. And while we're there, duh with the Buffy/Spike end to Smashed.
Oh, and definitely Jim and Pam's every kiss ever. But especially when they kiss outside the gas station in the rain after he proposes.
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Is this really a surprise? Buffy/Spike FOREVER. I love them as enemies. I love them when it's only Spike's unrequited love. I love them as seriously messed up sado-masochistic anti-depressant buddies. I love them as they fumble toward real affection and respect. I love them when they finally confess their love and it is too late. I love that they are partners and confidants, and that underneath any drama, there is a trust that they don't even realize.
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Joss always knocks them out of the park. Buffy? Yes please with the empowerment! Angel? Yes please with the perseverance!
Already mentioned my fondness for the Veronica Mars and LOST finales.
Oh, and I may as well throw Avatar: the Last Airbender in here as well. That show is gold, and it finished just as strongly as I could have hoped.
Really, I'll like any finale (minus Gilmore Girls) just because I've invested so much emotion in the show. I even loved the finale of Battlestar Galactica until everyone told me it was crap.
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Either Sayid from LOST or Taub from House. They aren't so much annoying as I just hate them. Sayid with his man pain (if you want to be a good man, just STOP TORTURING PEOPLE ALREADY, OKAY??) and Taub with his adultery (don't even ask me to ever pity you, you unrepentant two timer)....UGH.
Day 24 - Best quote
Seriously!? Well, there's Xander's speech to Dawn (and everyone in the viewing audience who doubts their ability to do real good without any superpowers as help: "They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary."
AUGH and this one that I didn't even think of until I googled stuff. Oh, Anya (and the entire The Body episode) you slay my heart like it's nothing at all! "But I don't understand! I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she's, there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore! It's stupid! It's mortal and stupid! And, and Xander's crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well Joyce will never have any more fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why."
There are probably twenty million more from all my favorite shows, but I'm not so good with remembering them. I just melt and/or laugh when they happen.
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
I don't need any new TV shows! And anyway, I can't think of any that I want to.
Day 26 - OMG WTF? season finale
LOST always brings the big guns to its finales, but it was season 3 that rocked me the hardest. Finding out all the flashbacks had been flashforwards, and that Jack and Kate were OFF THE ISLAND? Mindblowing!
Also season 3 of Battlestar Galactica, with the creepy beautiful music, and the end reveal of four more Cylons aaahhhH!!
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
It usually takes a few episodes before I'm invested in the characters and the show, but I loved Heroes pretty much off the bat. People discovering strange abilities? Milo Ventimiglia? Great start. Sad finish.
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Hm...when did my obsessive personality first manifest? The main one I can think of is LOST, when I watched the entire first season in one week. Then videotaped it each Wednesday night because I was always at church when it aired. And then I kicked my roommates out of our living room so they wouldn't disturb me while I watched. And then I had LOST parties every week with my Turkey team and then again with my Senegal team. Obviously an obsession, and it started in high school, so....maybe the first? Probably not, but it's good enough.
Day 29 - Current TV obsession
BUFFY still Buffy even though it is no longer on air. But if that doesn't count, then I guess Glee, because even though the plots are woefully underdeveloped, I love that show a lot, and after watching I always check two different websites for their reviews. And then sometimes I buy their songs and listen to them ad nauseum.
But when it comes to "I HAVE TO WATCH THIS ASAP" it would be Community and Parks and Recreation.
Day 30 - Saddest character death
Since my favorite shows tend to be generous with the deaths of beloved characters....there are so many! Charlie, Sun and Jin, Jack from LOST! But the one that just kills me is Cordelia on Angel. THAT EPISODE. She's been in a coma all season, and I love her to pieces, but I'd almost forgotten about her, but she comes back! And it's awesome! And there is peace between her and Angel! And she's snarky but self-assured and encouraging. And they beat the bad guy, and it's epic, and wonderful. And then they kiss, she is gone, the phone rings, and a guy from the hospital says she just died while in her coma.
I SOB MASSIVE TEARS at that. I mean, after watching it, I went to bed and cried into my pillow for an unusually long time. It just got me.
Okay, so there's a massively huge amount of TV thoughts. I think that was an hour (two hours?) well spent.
Day 1 - A show that never should have been canceled
Easy. Veronica Mars. I seem to be in the interweb minority, but I loved season 3! Season 2 was rocky, but they got it back together and made the show awesome. Three minor arcs instead of one big story? Totally okay by me. Veronica/Logan is my OTP for that show, but I can still appreciate the adorable Piz. And that finale! I am definitely in the minority here, but it was AWESOME! I wish there'd been five more seasons, but since they had to go out, they went out staying true to the show's themes. Nicely done.
Day 2 - A show you wish more people were watching
Please, like this could be anything but Buffy the Vampire Slayer, what with my constant "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SHOULD WATCH? BUFFY. YOU KNOW WHAT THIS REMINDS ME OF? BUFFY. WATCH BUFFY YOU CRAZY HEAD!" Sadly, I have only swayed one person to the side of the Buffster. And she is totally grateful.
Day 3 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
I don't think I'm even watching anything that just started. Let me google this. Nope. I tried one episode of Outsourced, but it was awful, so apparently I gave up on the entirety of freshman entries.
Day 4 - Your favorite show ever
Say it with me now: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This show just...AUGH. When I was a freshman in college, this senior girl who I really wanted to be friends with told me about this show, then brought two incredible cheesy boxed sets to band practice (with over the top romantic swoony scenes portrayed, EW). I intended to just watch a couple and return them with a bit more conversation fodder. BUT NO. Even though the first season is far from stellar, there was enough to keep me interested. And when season 2 hit me, OH MY WORD I just....I can't even. From there, it was done. I now understood why my roommate, upon hearing I had brought Buffy into our dorm, slammed me against a wall and screamed "Can we watch it NOW??"
There are 13 blogs that I check on a daily basis. One of them is a comic (xkcd what what!), two are authors, and eight are people who blog about Buffy. Even though the show has been over now for almost 8 years. There's so much to digest and analyze and enjoy, guys!
Like this stuff: The snappy and witty dialogue, for sure. There are hilarious one liners, epic speeches, and ordinary conversations that make my brain salivate. Joss Whedon should just, like, talk to me in his talky-talk way, and I'm pretty sure any problem would be fixed.
And there's the metaphors. Demons=life problems that must be slain! So totally applicable and encouraging! And when the easy metaphors (feel like everyone overlooks you at school, watch out or you might become invisible!) start feeling to pat, the world just explodes into moral ambiguity and grayness, and suddenly this show asks us how to deal with much harder issues--what do you do when you fear you will destroy the person you love? Can a desire for relational peace become a bad thing if you don't care how you achieve that peace?
And of course, the characters. Buffy is just a hero, plain and simple. She fights for good always, even when she doesn't want to be special, she just wants to hang out with friends and date pretty boys. Or when her life has fallen apart, and why can't people just take care of her? Or when her fighting seems to be destroying the people for whom she is fighting? Or when it requires her very life not once but twice? Or when she has made the ultimate sacrifice, found peace, and is once more thrust into the never-ending fight? SHE ALWAYS CHOOSES TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. She is a hell of a woman, and she is my hero.
Willow! She's adorable and shy, but there are serious issues underlying her friendly exterior that is just so true of all people everywhere. Joss refuses to let characters be stereotypes, so the best friend role that Willow seems to be playing becomes something so much deeper and dramatic and ultimately truthful (even if most people don't go through a little flaying stage along the way). Xander! He has no superpowers in a group of crazily gifted people, but he still works to find ways in which he can help, even when people try to convince him that he doesn't have to risk it. Giles! Cordelia! Oz! Anya! Andrew! And Spike! OH MY WORD, Spike. He is snarky, passionate, hilarious. He is often brilliant, and he can read people like a book, but sometimes he is horrifically dense. He fights for his soul because he loves Buffy, and after he's got it he realizes there is more to doing what is right than simply winning a woman's approval.
THIS SHOW, guys.
Day 5 - A show you hate
This is hard. I don't tend to keep watching shows I hate. Although Heroes got pretty awful, and still I watched to the bitter end.
Day 6 - Favorite episode of your favorite show
There's the obvious answer, which is Once More With Feeling, but watching that inevitably causes me to keep going and watch the rest of season 6, and once I've done that I have to watch season 7 too, so....that is more like a favorite fifth of the show.
Instead, I will say Something Blue. Because that is the episode that makes me laugh and laugh. Giles is blind, Buffy and Spike are weirdly in love, Xander attracts demons, and Willow mopes around so much that she is offered Anya's job. This is what I watch when I need a mini-Buffy-boost.
Or Conversations with Dead People, because the nerd in me just wants to shout, "KEEP TALKING, psych major vampire! You are explaining SO MUCH."
Day 7 - Least favorite episode of your favorite show
Hm. I will just ignore season 1 entirely, because that is too easy. I'll go with Doublemeat Palace, because I didn't need to be told that fast food restaurants are gross, and they almost went too far, and that old lady's head exploding into a snake demon? That's the kind of terror I expected from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, not something I wanted to be shocked with in my TV show.
Day 8 - A show everyone should watch
I'll go a bit more mainstream. Community! It's got a hilarious cast of misfits who adorabley find meaning and friendship with each other. Troy makes me scream with laughter every episode, and his adventures with Abed make me want to be so awesome. This show doesn't get bogged down with romance. They like to play with ideas, like "what if we did a Rambo episode? or one where we never left the room even though there was a puppy parade outside? or created a sheet fort that spread throughout the entire campus?" Funniest show on TV. Straight up.
Day 9 - Best scene ever
I'm so sorry, guys, but all I can think of is Buffy. Spike's crazy speech in Beneath You stands out. As does Buffy's leap off the tower in The Gift. And when Buffy kills Angel to save the world.
But okay, so here's something really unpopular. The other thing that came to mind is the last scene of LOST. Because I don't care! The idea of going into the afterlife sitting beside all the people who meant the most to you--that is BEAUTIFUL. When they all hug, and it's Charlie and Boone and Sun and Jin and these characters who died so tragically! But they're all together, and they're so HAPPY, because my word, they so deserve a little happiness. It's just wonderful.
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Fruits Basket! When Carah roomed with my Craig 3 sisters and I for one semester, we sat down to watch this anime out of getting-to-know-you-pity. And then we didn't leave the couch for three days so we could finish it. We laughed hysterically. We cried like, major tears. And I developed my second cartoon crush, because Kyo is just pure awesome bottled up in an angry kid (first was Dimitri from Anastasia, duh).
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Well, there's the horrible ending of Gilmore Girls. Not all of season 7--I loved Lorelai realizing that Christopher is awesome, and finally grown up enough to keep up with her. His wit matches hers! That is something to behold in wonder! But then it felt like the writers found out they were being canceled, and they didn't want to make all the Luke/Lorelai fans angry, so they hurried plot lines along and mashed things together and it sucked.
And Rory turned down Logan's proposal? I'm sorry, WHAT? You know he never recovered from that, and regressed into a partying bachelor who will never trust love again. Oh Rory, he would have totally gone on that campaign trail with you. What were you thinking?
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
The series pilot of Modern Family, because 1) it's hilarious, and 2) I've been along for many a "you don't know Modern Family? Well let's just watch it from the beginning so you can fall in love" party.
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
I loved Boy Meets World and Saved by the Bell like everyone else. And Home Improvement. But my most intense memories are of Digimon, because I was SO ASHAMED of loving it that I would lock myself in my parent's room every Saturday so no one would know I was watching it. Because of course no one ever thought that was strange.
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Come on. It's Spike, and it will always be Spike, whether he's comic relief, protagonist foil, or dramatic hero. I love him, I respect him, I get frustrated with him, I have a life size cut out of him (oh, dear Craig 3 sisters, you ruined my reputation for life with that present, and I am so grateful).
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Veronica Mars for the win! Her best friend is murdered, her dad is the town joke, she is ostracized at school, and she was raped but can't remember who did it. Does she wallow, as would be totally appropriate? NO. She goes around being the awesomest private detective ever. She hurts, and she gives up sometimes and makes stupid decisions sometimes, but she never lets herself be overcome. She is pretty much the embodiment of that 2 Corinthians passage about being hard-pressed but not crushed. Veronica is totally my girl crush of choice.
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
*sigh* Okay, I admit to watching several episodes of True Blood because Alexander Skaarsgard is a beautiful, beautiful man. Too bad Liz is going to marry him (since her dad thinks she will marry a Swede, and he is obviously choice #1).
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Does Firefly count? Because it is tragically mini! Thank goodness the funniest show on TV (that's Community if you're keeping up) has characters like Troy and Abed who have promised each other that, in the possible event of their murder, the other will make sure it looks like a suicide as a statement for bringing back Firefly. Show the Browcoat love!
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Chuck's is definitely awesome, but after four seasons, it is way too long! That is why I love that LOST's eerie and simple title sequence popularized the trend toward short.
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
I tend to love shows with big casts. Buffy's is great, as previously flailed about. But I have not yet talked enough about LOST! I think that show did the best at balancing and showcasing their immense (and continuously growing) cast. Ongoing mind-blowing story lines that were complemented and investigated from different angles by having each episode focus on a different character with flashbacks! Perfect.
There was Jack, the hero who got too much of a complex, then found his heroism again when it counted. There was Locke, who just never caught a break his whole. heartbreaking. life. And Kate, who ran so often she didn't know when to stop and appreciate what she had. And Sawyer, who tried so hard to cause pain so that he wouldn't be on the receiving end. And Hurley, who managed to face chronic bad luck with a sense of humor. And Jin and Sun, who overcame cultural and familial walls in order to become the most adorable married couple on TV. And Ben, who is evil and also fascinatingly manipulative. And everyone else. I loved them all, except for Sayid, Nikki, and Paolo.
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Buffy and Spike, Intervention. When Spike thinks its the Buffybot, but it's Buffy, and she realizes that what he did for Dawn was a major hero moment, and kisses him just barely, and then he realizes its actually Buffy herself, and oh! His face! And her eyes! It's so romantic.
Also Sawyer and Kate in season three when they think they're going to die so they kiss...etc...in a cage. HAHAHA. And while we're there, duh with the Buffy/Spike end to Smashed.
Oh, and definitely Jim and Pam's every kiss ever. But especially when they kiss outside the gas station in the rain after he proposes.
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Is this really a surprise? Buffy/Spike FOREVER. I love them as enemies. I love them when it's only Spike's unrequited love. I love them as seriously messed up sado-masochistic anti-depressant buddies. I love them as they fumble toward real affection and respect. I love them when they finally confess their love and it is too late. I love that they are partners and confidants, and that underneath any drama, there is a trust that they don't even realize.
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Joss always knocks them out of the park. Buffy? Yes please with the empowerment! Angel? Yes please with the perseverance!
Already mentioned my fondness for the Veronica Mars and LOST finales.
Oh, and I may as well throw Avatar: the Last Airbender in here as well. That show is gold, and it finished just as strongly as I could have hoped.
Really, I'll like any finale (minus Gilmore Girls) just because I've invested so much emotion in the show. I even loved the finale of Battlestar Galactica until everyone told me it was crap.
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Either Sayid from LOST or Taub from House. They aren't so much annoying as I just hate them. Sayid with his man pain (if you want to be a good man, just STOP TORTURING PEOPLE ALREADY, OKAY??) and Taub with his adultery (don't even ask me to ever pity you, you unrepentant two timer)....UGH.
Day 24 - Best quote
Seriously!? Well, there's Xander's speech to Dawn (and everyone in the viewing audience who doubts their ability to do real good without any superpowers as help: "They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary."
AUGH and this one that I didn't even think of until I googled stuff. Oh, Anya (and the entire The Body episode) you slay my heart like it's nothing at all! "But I don't understand! I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she's, there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore! It's stupid! It's mortal and stupid! And, and Xander's crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well Joyce will never have any more fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why."
There are probably twenty million more from all my favorite shows, but I'm not so good with remembering them. I just melt and/or laugh when they happen.
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
I don't need any new TV shows! And anyway, I can't think of any that I want to.
Day 26 - OMG WTF? season finale
LOST always brings the big guns to its finales, but it was season 3 that rocked me the hardest. Finding out all the flashbacks had been flashforwards, and that Jack and Kate were OFF THE ISLAND? Mindblowing!
Also season 3 of Battlestar Galactica, with the creepy beautiful music, and the end reveal of four more Cylons aaahhhH!!
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
It usually takes a few episodes before I'm invested in the characters and the show, but I loved Heroes pretty much off the bat. People discovering strange abilities? Milo Ventimiglia? Great start. Sad finish.
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Hm...when did my obsessive personality first manifest? The main one I can think of is LOST, when I watched the entire first season in one week. Then videotaped it each Wednesday night because I was always at church when it aired. And then I kicked my roommates out of our living room so they wouldn't disturb me while I watched. And then I had LOST parties every week with my Turkey team and then again with my Senegal team. Obviously an obsession, and it started in high school, so....maybe the first? Probably not, but it's good enough.
Day 29 - Current TV obsession
BUFFY still Buffy even though it is no longer on air. But if that doesn't count, then I guess Glee, because even though the plots are woefully underdeveloped, I love that show a lot, and after watching I always check two different websites for their reviews. And then sometimes I buy their songs and listen to them ad nauseum.
But when it comes to "I HAVE TO WATCH THIS ASAP" it would be Community and Parks and Recreation.
Day 30 - Saddest character death
Since my favorite shows tend to be generous with the deaths of beloved characters....there are so many! Charlie, Sun and Jin, Jack from LOST! But the one that just kills me is Cordelia on Angel. THAT EPISODE. She's been in a coma all season, and I love her to pieces, but I'd almost forgotten about her, but she comes back! And it's awesome! And there is peace between her and Angel! And she's snarky but self-assured and encouraging. And they beat the bad guy, and it's epic, and wonderful. And then they kiss, she is gone, the phone rings, and a guy from the hospital says she just died while in her coma.
I SOB MASSIVE TEARS at that. I mean, after watching it, I went to bed and cried into my pillow for an unusually long time. It just got me.
Okay, so there's a massively huge amount of TV thoughts. I think that was an hour (two hours?) well spent.
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