Cripes, where have I been? December 6, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011.Tags: personal
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Long time, no see, y’all.
BIg news in the nerds&bees house. In my ongoing attempt to be braver and live a better, more regret-free life, I decided to take part in NaNoWriMo this month. Totally wasn’t prepared for that, to be honest.
But I survived, I finished, I won, and I cracked my knuckles into submission the entire time.
I’ve also been recipe testing for miss Terry Hope Romero’s new cookbook, which has been fabulous and challenging (tonight was okra masala).
Next up? Christmas shopping. Shopping for my family and friends, not to mention I’m in charge of the office Adopt-a-Family situation, too.
Did I forget to mention I’m also giving myself stress issues? Sleeplessness, anxiety, heart palpitations … Living crazy isn’t for everyone, but damn it, I’m doing my best. :/
Walking Dead, Take Me Away October 10, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011, Review.Tags: review, television, walking dead, zombies
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So you know that thing people do where if they ignore something it’ll go away? I’m totally working that angle right now. Instead of facing facts about my ailing cat, I’m going to pretend he’s fine and tell you about the new season of Walking Dead.
You’re going to hate me: I’ve had the first two episodes for over a month, I only just watched them last week, and I didn’t even tell you about it. Forgive me? You will. I’ve got dirt.
What are you three looking at?
Here’s season two (so far) in a word: Daaaaamn! These two episodes didn’t just keep the graphic zombie shots front and center, they increased it. The thing about zombies is that they aren’t bloody, but they are gooshy and … thick when you smash them open.
Here’s what’s going to happen when you watch the first episodes:
- you’ll flinch a few times
- you’re going to want to slap a kid
- you’re going to want to throttle a mother
- you’ll gasp (especially if you didn’t read the comics)
- you’ll say, “Ug. I hate that girl. She’s so wrong for this.”
- you’re going to diagnose someone with a massive infection and just know you’re right, I don’t care what they say
- you’ll totally say, “Damn. He might be a hick, but that Daryl is freaking awesome.”
- you might say, “Isn’t that that guy? You know, the one from that movie? With the weird eye?”
I don’t know; maybe not so much with that last one. But here’s one thing you will do: be pretty happy that the show hasn’t lost steam. I’m going to go right ahead and say that this season might even be better than the last.
Oh, yeah, I said it. Whatcha gonna do about it?
I’ll try to rematch the episode, see if there’s anything more exciting I can share with you. It’s not for me; I do it because I care.
This Sunday. 9pm. Be there or be square.
Thank you, Steve October 6, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011.Tags: apple, love
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“I’ll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I’ll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread of Apple weave in and out of each other, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I’m not there, but I’ll always come back.” – Steve Jobs [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]
I’m a Mac girl – an Apple girl – from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. Last night’s news literally (and I do know how to use that word) brought tears to my eyes. Last night we lost the greatest innovator of our time.
Many times (Monday, even) I’ve proudly told someone I don’t even really know how to work a PC anymore. And it’s true. No, I wasn’t a fan of the Mac when I rediscovered and started using it again, but it weaseled its way into my heart and my home nonetheless. Today, we’ve got 4 iPods, 2 MacBooks, 2 MacMinis, an iMac and an iPad. All still working, all still awesome. I have a 5-minute commute and I don’t leave my driveway until I’ve queued up a song and hit play on my second-gen iPod video. It might be old, but I love it as much as would a child. Probably more.
Truth be told, I’m a straight-up Apple snob. I’m totally the person you think of when you picture a stuck-up Apple user who knows their computer is superior. Because it is.
I get annoyed with the girl at work who has an iPod – and no interest in getting a Mac – but still puts an Apple sticker in her car window. Even I don’t have the sticker on my car. That’s just weird.
So the world has lost one of its’ finest. A genius. A man who managed to bring his company back not only to keep it afloat, but to literally change the world in the process. The Apple logo is known world-wide … and it doesn’t even say the company name. Apple is synonymous with quality products and clean, intuitive designs. Nothing anyone can say will truly cover everything Steve meant to technology. I haven’t even mentioned that little Pixar company he had on the side.
Steve, you were a lion among nerds. A hero to the design geeks, the music lovers, the movie-makers. You will be deeply missed … your laid-back approach, your brilliance, your designs that never were.
Thank you, Mr. Jobs. For everything.
Jacob Would Not Approve September 1, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011.Tags: Lost
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What the heck is going on? I leave for a short vacation and the world falls apart. Earthquakes, hurricanes and Matthew Fox punching a woman in the crotch?!
According to CNN’s interview with the woman, he was glassy-eyed and stinking of liquor.
And after saving The Island on Lost, why would Dr. Jack Shephard attack a female bus driver? Well, because she wouldn’t allow him on the private party bus she was helming.
Seriously, Charlie Salinger, you need to be a better role model for your orphaned brothers and sisters. How would you like it if someone punched Julia in the chest and crotch? Not cool, dude. Not cool.
Jedi Kittens! August 25, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011.Tags: video
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Since WP refuses to let me post a video unless I pay, you get a link. Sorry, dudes.
These Jedi Kittens are brought to you via the super-amazing, super-awesome Damon Lindelof.
I need a bigger plate August 24, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011.Tags: personal, television, torchwood, trips, video, walking dead, zombies
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Oh, Natalie Dee, you're one cool dude.
So many things to do, so little me.
Share my pain with me, if you will. Here’s what I have on my proverbial plate at this time:
- Work (obvs)
- Training for a 5k (okay, so “training” might be a bit strong…)
- College classes (yeah, I have two degrees, but I get bored when my brain isn’t getting bigger)
- Caring for yet another sick cat (if you’re keeping count, that’s the third one in less than a year)
- Getting ready for another vacation
- Writing (I’m working on a book. Woot!)
- Blogging for work (no, you’ll never get a link; it’s a snoozefest)
I think that’s it, but isn’t that enough? But in the past weeks I’ve made a friend! Gone to a party! Found a new hairdresser (I hope)! And started watching Torchwood!
Seriously, Torchwood is like a whole new world to me. We saw the panel at Comic-Con and I was intrigued. So far I give it a solid … not too shabby.
BTW, have you seen these new Walking Dead clips? 11 seconds of total awesomeness. The second one is part of the larger teaser they showed at SDCC, but the other three are new to me. Seriously. Can’t. Wait.
How far away is October 16? Hold on, I’ll get a countdown doohickey.
Well, the site hates me. I’ve tried four different clocks and nothing works with this site. WHATEVER. Currently there’s 1 month, 23 days, 51 minutes until 9pm October 16. And now you know.
Jelly and drama August 8, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011.Tags: comics, personal, television, walking dead, zombies
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I sat down to write and suddenly noticed there was black raspberry jam all over my hand, my book and (don’t tell S), the couch.
So instead of talking about the drama at AMC, I spent far too long cleaning up my mess.
You’ve probably heard the rumors by now, right? Many, many sources are saying that AMC put so much money into their flagship show, Mad Men, that they can’t spend big bucks on Walking Dead or Breaking Bad. Apparently this meant they couldn’t afford to pay Darabont what he’s worth. And now Breaking Bad is rumored to be shopping around for another home. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Walking Dead returns October 16th on AMC.
Things I Learned at Comic-Con: Day Four August 3, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011, Review.Tags: comics, personal, trips
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Aww. Is it the last day of Comic-Con already? Well, that’s depressing. Here’s a little shocker: I didn’t spend much time at the Con at all on Sunday. I know, I know. But …
1. There are things outside the Con
We spent the morning with our new friends, chatting and playing video games (okay, failing at video games … who plays Spider-Man anyway?)
2. New friends can be secret stalkers
Seriously. They don’t even have to tell you. The new friends we met Saturday and spent Sunday morning with turned out to be a little stalkery when it came to famous people. We said goodbye, they claimed to be heading to the Con … only to find out they actually spent hours on a little stake-out, trying to meet one specific celebrity. Then they got mad at us when we happened to catch them in the act. Weeeird.
Let’s get back to the important stuff:
3. Don’t look at anything on the street too closely.
I honestly thought there was be a policeman on a horse patrolling downtown SD. But no, that pile o’ poop wasn’t from an animal. Enough said.
4. If you have 30 minutes left on the last day of the convention, go shopping!
We literally dashed in at 6:30, grabbed a few posters (they were out of the one I wanted originally, but I suppose that’s what I get for waiting), snagged a Mocking Jay pin (the books are amazing), made a few comic book purchases and made it out alive before 7am. BAM!
5. Don’t forget to redeem your freebie coupons!
If you get a coupon during a panel, haul your butt over to the Marriott to redeem it. I now have two copies of the same book, a True Blood bag-o-swag and a set of Oz trading cards. No, it’s not always awesome (last year I picked up a stupid paper fan – what a waste of time that was), but it’s something that only a few thousand select people have access to. That’s just cool.
6. It’s so haaaard … to saaaay goodbyyyye … to Comic-Connnnn
You’d better have sung that to the tune of that Boyz II Men song or else I’ll be pretty disappointed
Yes, Comic-Con is a busy, ridiculous mass of lines and bullies and people in skin-tight clothes that really shouldn’t be in skin-tight clothes, but it’s still so much fun. I always miss it when it’s over. I swear, 30 minutes after the Con officially closed, I was already reminiscing.
7. San Diego washes the geek off fast.
Stickers come off, stores disappear, the crowds dissipate, all within a few short hours. The Coco MOCA was being packed up when we walked by at 8, NerdHQ was just an empty bar and wadded up stickers on the ground. It’s depressing.
The next morning, after seeing countless buses with the “Showtime Saves” ads, I was shocked to see that there was NO trace of them. I was awake at 6am, packing, when I noticed that the buses were just normal buses again. So while I try to cling to the last bits of SDCC, San Diego is trying to get rid of it.
Bye Comic-Con, I'll see you next year
8. What happens at Comic-Con stays at Comic-Con
I saw a bunch of fellow Con-goers at the airport; I thought we’d give one another a knowing nod, maybe a little wink or at least a smile, but I didn’t get anything! It’s as if they were too cool to acknowledge their own geekery. Oh, well. We carried Thor’s hammer (I hated the packaging, Hasbro!) and Lost bobbleheads home with no shame.
So there you have it. A sort of “What I learned on my summer vacation,” but way cooler.
Things I Learned at Comic-Con: Day Three August 2, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011, Review.Tags: chuck, comics, trips
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Ugh, Saturday.
1. You have to get up early to beat the rest of the Chuck-le heads.
Is that a thing? Did I totally just make that horrible name up? Let’s forget about that for now. Seriously, though, I was up at 4am and in line shortly after that so I could get a good(ish) seat at the Chuck panel … SIX HOURS LATER. And after all my planning and getting up before the sun, I still was only in the second row of the second section of seats. Hmph. I was aiming for at least row 5 of the first section.
2. Listen to the words of wisdom from drunken comic geeks.
On the way to the Con we passed three or four obviously tipsy comic book peeps. The lone girl tells us to be careful because “someone’s about to get shot up there.” True to her words, there was a homeless man screaming at two cops and another guy. It was tense. We crossed the street and hauled ass.
3. Be nice!
The guy in front of me asked if it’d be okay if his two friends joined him later. He was so nice, how could I say no? A few hours later he made a trip to Starbucks and brought me back something to thank me. It was the nicest thing ever and totally unexpected!
4. Zachary Levi = the most gracious guy ever.
Seriously. The panel was so sweet and Levi almost brought me to tears with his gratitude.
5. Don’t count on other people to have your mad skills
I moved like the wind, dragging another set of new friends (the line, I tell you, it’s a wonderful thing!) with me around the slower-moving early morning risers so we all could get good Chuck seats. They were such cool people, they even said they were the West-Coast versions of us. Well, we hung with the new friends for a bit … until they needed a nap. Which they did until after 8pm. That’s not a nap, that’s a coma!
6. Put the sunscreen on before you feel the burn
Waiting in line for Community at the Indigo Ballroom was lovely. The day was gorgeous, the company good, the guy in charge of the line was entertaining … and the sun was secretly burning my neck. See, I didn’t realize it was eating away at my flesh sooner because of the breeze off the water. By the time I put in my sunscreen it must have been too late. When we got back to the hotel, I had a baby sunburn on the left side of my neck. Now I’m going to get wrinkles there.
Part of the messy line at the Indigo - it literally snaked around itself 5 times that I could tell
7. Accidental panels can be fun!
We got into Hall H to watch Kevin Smith a little early and ended up watching this Oz thing. It was cute. But it did make me wonder why it was in Hall H when True Blood and Dexter (which draw MASSIVE crowds) were in Ballroom 20. Hmm.
8. Kevin Smith says Comic-Con funny
It’s sort of “com-ee-con.” And boy does he love to talk. I already knew that, but I thought I’d say it anyway.
9. Find out where the fun is before you head to the wrong spot
At the Tweet-Up, we ended up upstairs when apparently the coolness was downstairs. But we did make some interesting “friends” who took us to some interesting places.
10. Don’t touch the Doctor’s coat lining
Speaking of the Tweet-Up, I accidentally flirted with a Doctor Who-alike. I honestly was just asking him a question, but I could see that he thought it was more. He even opened his coat and had me feel the lining. Awkward.
Of course, I totally did. I wasn’t going to upset the Doctor.
“Dead” Walks into a Special Edition DVD set August 2, 2011
Posted by That girl in 2011.Tags: previews, television, walking dead, zombies
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TVshowsondvd.com has a press release about the upcoming special edition of season one of The Walking Dead, set to be released October 4, 2011.
From the release: “Available in three versions (Special Edition DVD, Special Edition Blu-ray and Limited Edition Blu-ray Collector’s Tin), each set contains all six episodes of the first season and is loaded with NEW behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentaries, extra footage and the fan-requested black and white version of the pilot episode.”
Oohh. I think I’m going to need it.
Also, AMC is launching a Walking Dead web series. Not a lot of details yet, but you can read more about it at Bloody Disgusting.
