You're on Notice

In this addition of "You're on Notice", we are going to be taking on some varied and interesting topics, so sit back and enjoy!

"Accidents"
I am really sick and tired of people describe how the got pregnant as an accident because I don't get it (this could potentially be a cross post of things I don't get). How can something like that be an accident - especially if you aren't using any form of birth control?! For someone in my situation this is obviously much more annoying than to the average bear. I hear it though and my blood boils. "We weren't even trying!" "It was such a surprise!" "It was just an accident!". In my honest and most humble opinion, if you weren't using any sort of protections then you really shouldn't be all that surprised and it wasn't really an accident. And if you are still surprised, then maybe someone should have the birds and bees talk with you. My favorite getting pregnant story is this - someone I know stopped taking BC, started taking pre-natal vitamins and when she ended up pregnant she said, "We weren't really even trying!". Really? The lack of BC and prenatal vitamins seem to suggest otherwise. The only time I can except any of these statements is when you have been diligently using BC and you still end up pregnant. Otherwise? It's not an accident. For once, I would love to hear someone say, "We have been trying and it finally happened!"

BP
So I know that everyone and their brother is upset with BP over the oil spill, but some of us have vacations planned to the Florida Panhandle in the very near future. Vacations that have been planned for over a year and can't just be changed at the drop of a hat. No sir. So kindly get off your butts and get to steppin'! Mama wants to go on vacation and enjoy it! Not see black beaches and oily water! At least the house we are staying at is beautiful and has a private pool:


Wal-Mart
Again, I am sure not many people are going to disagree with me here because there is plenty that is wrong with Wal-Mart, but I can just say this? I am cheap and pretty much buy most of my makeup and beauty products from drug stores (gasp!) because I just can't justify spending that much money on things like that. So I found it very irksome that for the past, I don't know, six or seven months that I have run to Wal-Mart looking for my brand of eyeliner they have been sold out each.and.every.time! I don't get it! It's not like they have discontinued it because they have other colors. I refuse to believe that I just keep hitting the store at odd times. I feel as they they have run our nearly seven months ago and they are too lazy to re-stock! Or they don't know. Either I find it very annoying because I refuse to go to Walgreens as they are a good dollar more expensive (did you miss the part where I told you I was cheap??). So kindly stock your shelves Wal-Mart for the cheapies like me.

And surprisingly enough, that is all that is bothering me today!

*Images via garrettrealty.com

And She Reads Too!

So I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, you might be thinking that I am some silly couch potato that only watches TV and comes up for air to get on the internet. But - you would be wrong. Oh so wrong. I read too! Among other things, but I do read. In fact I love to read. I don't know what it is. I think it's the escape into another world. It's being able to leave this world full of harsh reality and escaping into a world of fiction. A world filled with problems that are bigger than yours and that usually come to a happy conclusion. Sometimes it's a world filled will silliness and nonsense, but nonetheless entertaining.

The most recent book that I have read is:

The Hour I First Believed - Wally Lamb

Wally Lamb is an interesting author. He uses a lot of psychological references and his books are based around characters who struggle with mental health issues. I enjoy him as an author and it's interesting to see how a mentally unstable mind can work. His other books, She's Come Undone and I Know this Much is True are also pretty good.

Coming up I plan on reading:

Body Surfing - Anita Shreve

I am just starting to read this book, so I don't really have an opinion yet. I will say that I have read Anita Shreve before and I have liked some of her work. I really enjoyed The Pilot's Wife and Light on Snow, but there have been several of her books that I have tried and just couldn't get into. I haven't really found an author before where this has been the case. I usually really like the body of work or I don't. I am hoping that I like this.

And after that I plan on starting either one of these:

Mommywood and Stori Telling - Tori Spelling

Ugh, for shame, I know. I don't know what it is, but I always feel silly admitting that I like Tori Spelling. Ok, I admit it. I like her and I like her silly reality show and so I will probably like her books too. Ok? There I said it. I think I like her because I spent so many years thinking that she was some stuck up, snotty, rich daddy's girl, wanna-be actress only-famous-because-of-her-daddy, then I watched Tori and Dean and I realized she is down to earth and nothing like I thought she was. There's an important lesson here, don't judge a book by it's cover. Get it? I'm writing about books and judging by it's cover. Yes? No?

Anyway, I'm always looking for new reads so any suggestions would be great!

Pop Culture FANatic

If you haven't noticed, (look around the blog) I am a bit of a pop culture freak. I don't know what it is, but I can hear/read the most random bits of pop culture and it sticks with me like a flu bug. Really, it is trivia in general. You don't want to play me in a trivia game. You really don't. The only other person that I have found that comes to close to my trivia knowledge is my husband (he may even beat me, but only in some areas). I promise I don't have a big head and I'm not bragging, but I'm just telling you what my skills are. Some people are crafty or musically talented, but me? I know my trivia.

That is why, among the many things I am addicted to, I have been addicted to Sporcle. There are several trivia games for several different categories such as TV, movies, history, sports, literature - you get the picture. I promise you have any sort of affinity to trivia or sense of competitivenes you will be hooked on this site.

I was interested when my husband was telling me about this quiz in which you name the 50 states within five minutes. You even have a map to look at! Easy-peazy lemon squeezy, right?


WRONG!! It was just like that episode of Friends in which Ross introduces a game just like this to the friends and he says that you always forget at least two. Chandler insists he can do it and when he doesn't he spends the rest of the episode trying to figure out what he's missed.

So I challenge you. Go and try it. See if you can get them all the first go around. Prove me, Ross and Chandler wrong!

Things I Don't Get

There are very few pop culture phenomena that I don't get. I mean very few. I am usually right on board with most of the popular TV shows, movies, fads, etc. But there are two things that I just don't get. Try as I might, I just don't get them (and I hate not getting something).

The first?

Grey's Anatomy.*

I have never watched this show on any sort of regular basis, but I have seen an episode here and there and maybe because I didn't have the vested interest of already knowing the characters or story lines, but I wasn't impressed. Not even a little bit. And the episodes that I did see? They didn't leave me wanting to see more. To me that is the mark of a good show. You see catch a random episode and suddenly you are hooked. You've never seen it before, but suddenly you want to see the next episode and every episode before it. That's how I found Gilmore Girls and Sex and the City - two of my all time favorite shows. Grey's though? Not so much. I don't know, I guess maybe I am of the been there done that mindset seeing as how hospital dramas have been done - ER and Chicago Hope ring any bells? I just don't get it.

The second?
I'm probably going to shock and dismay people (all two of you that may read this) but here it goes....

The Twilight Saga

Ok, everyone. Let out your big collective gasps and sighs now. Better? Yeah I said it. I don't get Twilight and I have read the books and seen the first movie. But the second and the third? No desire. None. Not even a little. My impression of the whole thing? Silly. When I read the books I found myself interested. I wanted to finish to find out what happened, but overall I found all the characters to be annoying and whiny. The only character I was remotely interested in was Jacob and apparently that makes me a looney tune because how could you NOT LOVE EDWARD?!?! Well I think Edward is an overprotective, possessive, self important lunatic. I don't know why anyone would think he is so dreamy. And all that romantic garbage he spews. Gag. And before you go telling me that I'm not a romantic sap, I want to state that I am not for cheesy romance like writing me a song. Please. If my husband wrote me a song and played it for me on the piano I would die twice from embarrassment. Once for myself and once for him. I'm more of the he-bought-me-flowers-for-Valentine's-Day-and-it-was-surprise-because-we-don't-usually-celebrate-in-that-way type of girl.

Then there is the fact that these books were written for teenage girls. I just find this to be appalling. What are we teaching these girls? Go for the guy you are obsessive over and you spend all day and night thinking/wanting/loving/obsessing over, so much so that you lose yourself and all that you stand before because you are in love. Please. Then the last book. With the sex? Um, what? I just wouldn't want my daughter reading that. Yes, they are married. But for the love of God they have rough sex and there's all this adult innuendo and then the pregnancy? Lord - I can't even begin...

And the movies? May I just say that loathe Kristen Stewart? She is the worst actress EVER and I mean ever. That is a bold statement, but it is true and I know I am not alone on this. For me she ruined the whole thing with all of her broody bad acting. (Let's not mention that she SUCKS at her job, but she makes more money than I will ever hope to see... ever). Other than her terrible acting, the first movie was slow. I don't know how anyone saw it without reading the book and was suddenly interested in the whole thing because I fought sleep the entire time I watched it.

So in closing, I don't mean to offend anyone who loves either of these things. I am sure there are shows and things I am in to that other people don't "get". No harm, no foul I always say.

*Image via www.abc.com. Show and image copyright ABC.

Memories... Like the Corners of My Mind

Didja miss me? But OF COURSE you did!!

What have I been doing in my absence, you ask? Well I have been doing very big and important things.

Okay... maybe not.

What I HAVE been doing is watching an embarrassing amount of this:




And feeling rather nostalgic. I always feel that way during this time of year. I don't know if it's the changing of the season, kids being out of school or what - but I feel nostalgic for my youth. To be young again and not have to worry about jobs, money, babies or anything like that. To have almost three months off with not a care in the world. I feel nostalgic not only for my grade school years, but my high school years and even my college years. To be young.

In order to feed into my nostalgic kick, I have been watching YouTube videos of things that played on the Disney channel circa '95-'01. What are those clips, you ask? Well, of course I will show you!



I loved Zenon - Girl of the 21st Century. It starred Kirsten Storms who later played the "teenage" Belle on Days of Our Lives. John and Marlena went on their honeymoon and she was a baby, the came back, and she's a teen! Amazing.



Wish Upon a Star - one of Katherine Heigl's first movies! You know, before she got all self-righteous.



Lizzie McGuire - this was before they played the crap Hannah Montana. Now this was entertainment and child stars at their finest.



Even Stevens - Where Shia LaBeouf got his start. I have to say I like him much better as an adult, but still...



Flash Forward - I love, love, loved this show! It got me through those awkward middle school days. Bad memories of middle school, but great memories of this show.

All this talking about the past makes me want to search for more oldie but goodie hidden treasures!