nuggets of glory: kid shows

seeing as how i'm a mom, i watch a whole lot of kid shows. like a ridiculous amount. sometimes you end up with crazy things that make you want to poke your eyes out like the doodlebops.

other times, you find nuggets of glory like this.


you're welcome world.

what to watch: mel's guide to tv

in case you didn't know, i'm a major media whore. love the kardashians, wish they would bring back gilmore girls, and i can't resist a good tmz video. seriously- i am what's wrong with the world. one of my favorite things is to predict the winners & losers of the new fall schedule and believe me, this year will be ah-mauz-ing [much like my friend penny says].

this summer has been the worst- with no new shows i've exhausted my netflix queue [which is really shannon's] and my friend's seasons [including friends] so i have been waiting for this for a while-- but while i'm mentioning netflix i'd say check out traffic light- funny series justin and i started.

go on [matthew perry]- now i'm feeling very sympathetic for chandler. he failed on the sunset blvd and was anything but mr. sunshine but this show looks promising. it reminds me of community- a band of misfits in a closed setting. the premise is his wife just died [how depressing- i know. it's been a really rough road for chandler] so he is forced to take a group therapy class with a bunch of mifits. it's funny enough to watch in the background of my pinstalking.
grade: b

the new normal [the book of mormon guy]- i really didn't want to support this murphy production [the guy from glee] but.... i had nothing to watch. it's got a funny idea- a gay couple is trying to have a baby with a chick who already has a daughter- and insert a racist grandma and loud mouth assistant. it's funny but a little too...brass? that's not the right word- controversial. hater of conservatives? either way, i don't like ryan murphy but i like his shows. this one i won't keep watching when others come on. and it's not that funny anyways. but that book of mormon guy is very very charismatic. and ridiculously good looking- like zoolander. but not in a bruce willis way.
grade: c

parenthood: one of my returning favorites.
grade: b

glee: again, i'm ashamed i like this show. but the music is just too good to pass up. let's see how i like it with finn gone.
grade: b

the mob doctor [the girl from my boys]: i don't know too much about this show but i'm intrigued. she's a doctor who works with the mob. sounds interesting right? we'll see
grade: tba

up all night: love this show. so funny and so true. i want to be as good of a housewife as will arnett aka mr. amy poehler
grade: a-

the office: the final season- cue tears now. granted, it died when michael scott left. i can only hope for a cameo but i'll be disappointed. i heard they will finally explain who is making the documentary and it's effect so that'll be funny. oh and dale from greek is on it now- he's a mini dwight so i can't wait for that.
grade: a [would be a plus but it's scottless]

parks and rec: amy poehler is magic as leslie knope. love love love her. in a girl crush way.
grade: a+

how i met your mother: we'll finally get to see what's up with barney and robin's wedding- esp with their exes back!
grade: a+

new girl: i wish i could sing through life
grade: a+

ben & kate [nash bridges & melanie griffith's daughter]: kate is a single mom who is too responsible and ben is a napolean dynomite knock off dork. looks quite promising. i liked the pilot but i don't know if the magic can last.
grade: b-

the mindy project [kelly kapour]: kelly is venturing on her own- and taking some office classmates with her. andy is a love interest and ryan is a producer. i love mindy- more then i love amy poehler. so i will def watch every episode, even though the pilot didn't quite find it's groove.
grade: b

private practice: addison's last season- which means it better be the show's last season.
grade: b

vegas [the ex mr. meg ryan]: set in the 60s?? old time vegas crime show. haven't seen the pilot but as a vegasite- vegan- vegoovian- i'm excited.
grade: tba

animal practice [the daughter from reba]: this sitcom looks funny but doesn't look like it has lasting power. again, i'll give it a few gazes when i have time.
grade: b-

modern family: gloria is pregnant. whoopee. let's see if they can capture the magic again from season 1-2.
grade: b

the big bang theory: i missed last season and am first in line to borrow my friends so i won't be watching this. but still it's a
grade: a

grey's anatomy: after the plane crash they skip ahead a few months- and mcsteamy leaves. please shonda- let derek finish his stupid house and end this show before every cast member i love dies.
grade: c+

elementary: a sherlock holmes drama. looks fun but i doubt it's as awesome as sherlock. plus isn't that the dude who was married to angelina jolie? prob won't make it to my docket. as you can see already, i've got enough shows.
grade: tba

revenge: seriously- the best drama on tv. i can't wait to see what happens to the greyson's this season. but could do without the flip-flopping sexuality of the computer genius.
grade: a+

scandal: a close second on the best drama on tv. set in washington around the president and a pr. so amazing. wish i could marry it.
grade: a+

once upon a time: who doesn't love fairy tales? this abc drama came out of nowhere and has blown up. i love the stories, the characters but am curious how they can keep it going?
grade: a

30 rock: farewell tina fey. i know you're a mom of two now but i can't live without you. you made me somehow not hate alec baldwin. it's not going to be the same without you.
grade: a

gossip girl: another final season! granted, everyone has fabulous movie careers so who needs a tv show? and by everyone i mean the girls. such a guilty pleasure.
grade: b

the vampire diaries: she is finally a vampire- really. it took bella 4 books and you 4 seasons. and you say you're not twilight.
grade: b

suburgatory: tessa's mom is back. funny- and true to life. a good filler.
grade: b

happy endings: one of my favorite comedies on tv. love love love you. ah-mauz-ing.
grade: a+

honorable mentions: did you heard the cw is doing dr. horrible's sing along blog tv show? what?? the movie wasn't bad enough? [you heard me nate and shannon]. and whitney renewed for a second season? what is WRONG with you nbc- you like to fail?

as you can see, i watch too much tv. it's amazing i have a life somewhere in between my couch sessions.

trampire- i want to claw your eyes out

how.
dare.
she.

now i'm not much one for tv. or celebrities. or twilight. but there's just something i cannot ignore. how in the world could kristen no smile stewart cheat on mr sparkles robert pattINson [not pattERson]? does she really think she can do better? with those teeth? i'm really torn up about their breakup. just keeps giving me flashbacks to the brangelina debacle- i still regret burning my 'mr & mrs smith' dvd but some things you have to do for yo sistas, ya know? and jenny is my sista.

i think this video pretty much explains my feelings.

 

that trampire. really. i think her public apology made it worse. and the fact that he's married- with kids. thank goodness there's other people as crazy as me who are. i'm afraid i may have contributed in some way to the affair, having paid theatre priced tickets to see 'snow white & the huntsman'. so rob, i'm sorry. and i'm not the only ones who feel this way. read kelly kapore's reaction here- along with ryan's helpful tips for future cheaters.

honestly, this is just making me lose my faith in all celebrity unions. tomkat, bennifer, tay-squared, robsten-  i don't think i could live in a world where people like kimye can't make it.

siskel & melbert at the movies

there are few "things" i love more in life then movies. maybe music and slurpees-- that's it. i enjoy getting lost in another reality, all while gorging myself on movie theatre popcorn [soooo much different-er(?) then homemade. remember my popcorn craving stage of pregnancy??]. i've enjoyed dining with wong fu & julie newmar, gotten lost in the 8th kingdom and done the can-can at the moulin rouge. i've gone on adventures in middle earth, attending a few potions classes, and even been an apprentice for obi won. pretty fabulous life i have here.

justin doesn't understand why i could read or watch the same movie over and over again - he's never really been into the arts. since i have the memory of ali calhoun, it's like meeting an old friend - over and over again! i remember i like it but i can't remember why. i've yet to watch a movie so many times i stop enjoying it-- even twilight. which is prob the most watched movie in my huge binder of movies [and it's relatively new....so that makes me pathetic]. but on the upside- i basically know all the lines so watching it with me on fast forward = awesomeness. just ask shannon & autumn.

so without further ado, here are the movies i'm most excited about this year [so far]. this list is in no way comprehensive but a few i've seen and it makes me pee my pants a little. i just hope mema is up to babysitting enough for me to see all of these. and gorge myself on popcorn in the security of a darken movie theatre- bc food you can't see have zero calories. so double jeopardy.
i LOVE the host - you have no idea. i CRIED during this book...before i got pregnant. so it was really hard back then [twss]. it's in no way like twilight. but i'm a huge sci-fi nerd.
i am, admittedly, a huge superhero nerd as well. not as big as noah & nick, or as their close and personal friends call them, batman & robin. i don't have HUGE hopes for it- lets face it, it's no x-men. with capt america stinking so bad, iron man will need to work his hardest to redeem this. even with thor's massive muscles.
how could i leave this out? the trailer offers basically nothing. and it's hard to live up to a hybrid-human-vampire baby clawing their way out of your vag but still. it's going to be great to finally see bella grow some cajones and actually DO something. but is anyone other then me a tad disappointed they didn't make her prettier?
have you noticed studios like to put out movies with similar genres/story lines at the same time to compete? [ie: a bug's life/ants, the prestige/the illusionist, marhc of the penguins/happy feet, megamind/despicable me, chasing liberty/first daughter, the truman show/ed tv] mirror mirror is coming out soon [snow white, kids version] but it looks quite dull next to this. granted, it's got k-stew in it...but it also has thor. so life ain't too terrible.
i read this book cover to cover and it was in NO way as funny as this promises to be. and let's face it, i'm only excited for this movie bc of the dudes' group. i'm hoping steven & justin can form this type of group together in a year or so. dads are dudes too - and justin's got no dad dude friends. thank heavens meghan is pregnant.
now, my man j.r. knew his bizness. i mean, he created not only a whole new world, but new languages. that's some commitment...while i can't manage to put pen-to-paper my brilliant book idea [spoiler alert- it'll be copyrighted. that's how awesome it is]. now i have still yet complete the books BUT in my defense a) i have a baby b) i have a NEEDY baby c) i already know what happens so it's hard to sit through dull sections when i want them to skip parts and d) the movies are long enough. i'm no caitlin people! hp was stretching it- and that's HP!

like jason segal, i too can relate. my own engagement felt like five years [it was 3 months]. but in my defense, i was ready to marry him in 7th grade and we didn't get married until my first year out of college.....so wham bam.

last but in no ways ever least [#3 to be in fact] is my 3rd husband - mr. william smith [following bruce willis and marky mark]. mib2 was lame but this is gearing up to be ah-maz-ing. i just want to lick the screen.


honorable mention: the great gatsby [dec], les miserables [dec], the mortal instruments [tba]
runner's up: abraham lincoln: vampire slayer [anyone read the book?], the bourne legacy, battleship, the lucky one, rise of the guardian, the dark knight rises, and madagascar 3.

the time i met a sister wife and husband

meri's caboose

the scene

so a christmas miracle occured - i met a sister wife. quite ironiclly because my friend/fav person to blogstalk met one at a david archuletta concert in cedar right before i met mine! justin and i ran to ross for some xmas shopping/house decoration hunting and after wandering around for a bit, justin told me to be cool but a sister wife was there too! wandering the same aisles as us. and of course i didn't notice, i never look at people when i'm out and about [that's how i missed seeing elder holland that one time! still kicking myself. so naturally i casually wander around, staring people down and trying to recall their names. as one who is cable-free i'm not a known-all/end-all sister wife fan like i should be [kelly & whitney got that pegged down!]. well i stalked and found her- meri! she caught me....and i suspect one of her daughters did too. and unlike liz, i was not brave enough to ask for a pic so i grabbed this gem from behind a reasonably priced vase. nice to know even tv stars are sensible shoppers.

well that was quite awesome by itself but i personally took what happened next as a sign that i need to get cable. my sis shannon & i were out two days later at albertsons one horrible early morning and guess who i saw outside a shopping mall jewlery store- the SISTER husband!! how cool is that?! let me tell you, it was pretty awesome. i wonder which wife he was buying for...

so the moral of the story is - look at people when you're out shopping because you never know when you're gonna see a pseudo celebrity.

but really there's no moral, i was just excited to see someone from tv.

blog stalking: america's favorite past time

i've noticed that when i am bored at work [which if often- not that i don't enjoy what i do, i just get done with my buziness so fast i usually have loads of extra time. loads. darn me for being too efficient and awesome] i tend to blog stalk, but let's be honest- who doesn't? that's what you're doing right now right? i used to be a professional facebook stalker but that grew old because i realized, there are no new people and i already know everything i want to know about these peeps, which has lead me to be a professional bs-er [in more then one way].

i found this tidbit of wisdom on twitter the other day:

how true- people always write about the rockin things they do on fb [new jobs, babies, marriages, vacays---or like this one hs 'friend' of mine who i am convinced is dating a pimp, fo'real. and i say 'friend' loosely bc i honestly can't remember her but everyone else i know is friends with her so who am i to deny?] then on twitter complain about life--hello! so do i! look at my shining example:

**anyone noticed a reoccurring theme in my fb brags? one hint: oink oink

so it's confirmed- we all love to blogstalk but live in fear of being caught. i tend to bs people from hs: some i knew and were friends with, most i knew but were not friends with, some i didn't even know. some i follow publicly but most i don't. the other night i had a convo with justin that went something like this:

melissa: i got another follower on my blog today! now my number is up to x!
justin: wow. so there's more creepy people like you? x is not really a big number.
melissa: well most people follow privately because they don't want to be a creeper. i bet i have about (x)^4th fans.
justin: ya ok.

he's not the only one who makes fun of me for loving my blog and you know what 3LW said- 'haters gonna hate' [talk about a '90s flashback]. some of my friends blog stalk this person and this one, even though they don't know them. why? i don't know why, but i'm guilty of it too. the rockstar diaries is addicting bc the chick is gorgeous, super hip, and takes the funnest pictures. oh, and her blog is url-ed at taza and husband but her name is naomi--questionable. maybe i should pick a pseudonym--but i'm honestly not that cool yet. but if i did, i'd go with lola, ophelia, or fanny. if it's good enough for jennifer anistonapoulos, john bongiovi, or stanley kirk burrell, it's good enough for me.

so my point?? honestly don't have one, but isn't that the whole purpose of blogs? let's celebrate america's favorite past time by becoming a public follower of your favorite blog to stalk!

i like 'em trashy

when it comes to anything trashy, i am there. want someone to help you steal pizza from an all-you-can-eat buffet? i've got the giant boho bag with ziplocs inside. need some red lipsticks to match your holey fishnets & stripper heels? have the pair off my 3-days of non-shaved legs. and when it comes to celebutaunt drama- i am your go-to-guru. so considering the source, i think it quite ironic i am hating on this weeks 'ok' magazine edition of all things paparrazi.

one friend so lovingly called me the queen of pop culture [not quite- but thank you. maybe next time you'd like to dub me 'princess of all things peculiar' or 'queen of awesome'? just some suggestions] and i'd like to live up to that name. as  your self-designated ruler of trash, i'd love to comment for a few minutes on the atrocities of this week's edition of gab. that being said, you don't read gems like 'ok', 'people', or 'star' hoping to get accurate information. you do it for the same reason i sometimes leave the blinds open when i get dress - it feels oh so good to know you're not alone [disclaimer for my husband: that's not true. disclaimer for my fans: it's so true].

first of all, i'd like to ask the audience some questions.
-do you have thick hair? [as a horse- thank you mom!]
-a round, full & wrinkle-free face? [yes. and some fancy occasion chin-hairs too- thanks mom]
-are your boobs a size c or bigger? [since 1999]
-have some extra fluff in your midsection? [since 1986]
-have some womanly curves on those bones of yours? [see above q]

well then congratulations! you're pregnant! it's actually quite nice for 'ok' to take the guesswork out of life. i have a good friend who is [better be] trying to conceive currently. so now i can just give her this simple quiz to find out if their attempts are working. who really has time to monitor your period or take a costly pregnant test? not me. that's why i buy my pregnancy tests at dollar store.l

and what's up with shiloh jolie-pitt? i remember when angelina [aka the tramp who broke up brannifer who i can't help but love] and brad pitt got pregnant. this baby was supposed to break all molds of beauty, which she is a cute little girl. but why does she dress like a little boy? i understand liking motorcycles or baggy pants, but come on! someone spread some pink glitter across her cheeks and sign her up for 'high school musical' camp! speaking of all things vane, why did r.pattison chop off his moppy-flop and turn it into this nast lopsided flop of ugliness? he has a reputation of edward cullen to uphold. and he is not making the cut.

in a related note of nastiness, what is mr. face tattoo doing to this poor pigeon? honestly, if i was gonna mack on a bird [disclaimer: i have], i wouldn't do it with a pidgeon. there's just so many prettier birds. may i suggest kevin from 'UP'- he is actually a she.

another thing that caught my eye was the big scuttle of 'should cities ban texting while walking?'. honestly, this is a very legit question. i have on more then once twice several occasions had some texccidents while being mobile. i've walked into lamp posts, AC units, fell off sidewalks and even got pregnant while texting [ put that on the side of a cell-phone and you'd see a defiantly decrease in texts at a high school football game]. but since i am my father's daughter, i'd never let the man take the freedom of looking like an idiot away from me. no mr. usama-obama. not today.

speaking of my desire to never be alone, read this reader's most stumping quandary.

really? the worst thing to you is the fact your boyfriend likes to be nude? don't you remember 'failure to launch's' naked room? i for one am all for au naturel moments in life. not that clothes don't serve it's purpose [ie. avoid awkward situations when your visiting teachers come over] in life but it never hurts to let the puppies fly, if you know what i mean.

 and this has been an episode of 'things i really did not want to know about mel's life'. until next week...good luck and good night.

dance fever

i knew it was quite contagious...never really thought i'd be one of the few that caught it but it's true. i've been infected. i have dance fever. just dance fever. this is seriously the coolest wii game i've ever played! i heard about it from a few friends on fb so i just had to take the dance. it is so fun!

wednesday justin left me widowed for the UNLV/COLORADO game so i convinced my SIL lynsey to try it out with me. i don't know how convinced she was of it's awesomeness but i was hooked. just after one song i was sweating like a hog oiled up for thanksgiving dinner. i have fond memories of dancing to the oldies with richard simmons in HS. everyone mocked the tiny, tiny shorts on the tiny, tiny man with the giant, giant fro but not me, no. i admired him for his bravery and ability to help other lose weight by having fun. (my friend megan [from college] even worked out once to him! i know, i have the coolest friends) so i spent $30 on the coolest game eva.

here's a pic from justin & lynsey last night. i took a video but they threatened to disown me if i posted it. they are blurry bc the dance fever has then moving impossibly fast. but i can tell you, it was high-lar-ious.

do it. do it now.

free owl calender!

if you have been living under a rock these past few years, owls are very hip. personally, i blame owl city [a fav of mine- where i got the title of our blog]. homework is one of the crafty-blogs i bs- that's where i found this! a free owl calender for 2011- you can even pic which designs you want on what month- it's now my new desk calender.

thank heavens for giving people. here are some of my favorite designs.

 

enjoy!

my fav- valentine's day is my favorite holiday  

the songs of my heart

music has always been a huge influence in my life. my mom always said that i didn't speak my first words, i sung them. growing up, i loved loved loved singing and i loved performing. i had singing lessons, i sang at schools, county- fairs, anywhere that would take me. my mom forced all her little hoodlums [except josh, lucky dog] to learn to play piano starting at the age of 6 [5 for me] and we hated it all those years. every morning, starting at 5:30am, we took our turns playing for an hour. anna would always get pissed and have to blow in my mom's face [read: morning breathe anyone?] and i mastered the art of sleeping on the keys. now days, shannon is the only one who can play like a champ. the rest of us can fiddle through the hymns if we have to, but music was always a big part of our lives.

oh, and we loved our musicals. eliza doolittle had her rain in spain, the master of the house kept the zoo, and i enjoyed being a girl. my brother nate even gave us three little girls our own songs from les miserables ['castle on a cloud' was mine]. i never realized just how odd it was for little kids to like musicals til i attempted to get justin to watch [on tv, no less] a musical.



choir trip soph year- i wish i had a better one but alas, no.



while my brothers & sisters had to learn an instrument and be band-nerds, i was a choir-queer and i relished every moment of it until about sophomore year of hs. by that time i had done show choir with kayla, i had had that solo, and i had been the section leader. for some reason, i just started to hate it. maybe i burned out or i realized i could never be kristen chenoweth. either way, i was done. and i especially wouldn't sing for my mom [couldn't give her that satisfaction].

so now i have a meagerly-average voice and i'm okay with that. i sing loud in church, smugly knowing that the ladies behind me couldn't hit a pitch if it was the size of wiffle-ball. i will proudly jump from alto to soprano parts and back again at odd times just to keep people on their toes [esp caitlin]. i still won't sing in choirs [can't stand that mediocre talent, that i am sadly apart of] but every once in a while, especially at christmas time, i'll sing 'were you there?' for my mom. i sing too loud in the car and while i clean. and i'm good with that.

with all of that being said, i still love music. you know that feeling you get when you listen to a song and it sings to your soul? it speaks the words you can't form. says the feelings you can't express. or express a moment that you thought you had lot. songs do that to me; help me remember what it's like to be alive. i love finding a song that speaks the words of my heart. i most recently found this one, 'dog days are over' by florence & the machine [thank you glee. you surprise even me]. close your eyes- close your eyes. can't you imagine storming out of your crappy job, walking out with your head held high, and embracing the new & unknown? me too. these songs seem to capture some deep & life-changing point in my life. here are some of my favs. and ps- music snobbery is not tolerated here. just because you listen to indie doesn't mean you are cool. liking what you like is cool, no matter who sang it [lesson learned: jessica p. stoneman with 'love bug' by the jonas brothers].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

deathcab for cutie: "i will follow you into the dark": If there's no one beside you, When your soul embarks, Then I'll follow you into the dark. epic love song.

hilary duff "come clean": don't hate. too many people are prejudice against teeny-poppers. sometime the masses are right. this song reminds me of blair & me, dancing in an empty parking lot, or at 7-11, or around her room. high school in a nutshell.

butterfly boucher:  "life is short": seize the day people. Oh I am young but I have aged, Waited long to seize the day, All things said and plenty done, Oh I am young but I have a past, Travelled far to find the start. Yes I am scared and I've been burnt, But life is short. 

plain white t's : "hey there delilah": this was my anthem for two years. every time i drove through the black mtn pass between st. george & cedar, i'd sing this song & cry. Hey there Delilah, You be good and don't you miss me, Two more years you'll be done with school , And I'll be making histoy. i think this song was made for missionary girls.

genesis: "that's all": i wish i could understand why this song touches my soul but no answers. phil is the master. i think i just love the beat. to me, this song is about toughin it out through the horrible times when you & that special someone can't agree on one single thing. that's love.

tim mcgraw: "indian outlaw": this song is for me & justin. he would sing it to me. i have a favorite phrase in this song- any guesses what it could be?

natasha bedingfield: "soulmate": n bedingfield is my #1 favorite female singer. this song is about wanting love. desperately. Is it possible that Mr. Loveable is already in my life? Right in front of me or maybe you're in disguise. he was for me, but i'm one of the lucky few. everyone has felt the pain of being single. but being able to know who we are when we're by ourselves makes us a better Mrs. Loveable for that Mr.

wham!: "wake me up before you go-go": THIS IS MY JAM! may i just say, wham! is the most misunderstood and under appreciated band of the century? sure, george michael is a freak. so was michael jackson- lots of musical genisus' are.

coldplay: "viva la vida": remember the itunes commercials to this? when chris martin does ONE action, just rockin his hand back and forth the WHOLE SONG? one time driving home from SLC with my sister shannon i did it. the whole song. which is not easy for a song that's about five minutes long.

jason mraz: "the beauty in ugly": talk about a song changing you. i never watched ugly beauty before this but have been a a mr. a-z fan since his musical conception [#1 favorite male singer]. this is prob my favorite jmraz song so that says something. the video changed how i viewed myself.

high school musical 3: "a night to remember": honestly, i love this song because of the movie. check out the link at 50 seconds and your whole mind will be blown. zac efron can move it like no other. when my bff8 bought me this dvd as a grad present, i watched that segment [and mimicked it shamelessly] a gazillion times. do it people. let yourself life.


kelly sweet: "dream on": while i know some who hate all covers [j.p.s.] i think this song could change your mind. aerosmith wrote the words, kelly brought them to life. Sing with me, sing for the year, Sing for the laugh, sing for the tears, Sing with me, if it's just for today, Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away. sometimes life is meant to be lived in the moment. let go, express your soul, sing.

nelly furtado: "explode" or the whole 'folklore' album. many of nights i couldn't sleep i would put this cd in my walkman and drift away to sleep. i stole this cd from my sister devin [she never missed it- i bet her reading this will be the first time she noticed it gone]. this is my absolute #1 favorite song. ever. this song reminds me of the feeling of hs- judging others by what you perceived. Then count the stars and the ten million woes, Just you and the universe judging each other, We never knew that we'd get caught up, Stuck in the teenage waste. no matter how horrible life might be in that moment, remember We're counting the stars
We're gonna go far. this song gives me hope.

i wish i could put more. i have so many more favorites. sometimes, i think my life is played out in songs.

principal rooney

this semester i'm taking a history of rock & roll class [what a good wife i am!] and one of the requirements was to write a concert review. well, that's all i need: an excuse to go to a concert. luckily, my pal stonifer is always up to get her ear-drums blown and kitty-cait just needed an excuse to see her bff8 mel. esp on her birth week.

saturday morning the gang came down from SLC and we went to my favfavfav joint, heidi's brooklyn deli. after that the guys&dolls split their separate ways. the boy went to see unlv triumph over wisconsin [basketball = deathball] & the girls went to see harry potter!! let me tell you, mind. blown. i didn't like the brief nudey bit but otherwise, excellent, excellent film. after we grab a quick bite and headed to the concert.

this being said, i've been a vegas native for 22 of my 24 [mortal] years. i think i know this town like mickey knew that steamboat. imagine my horror when we couldn't find the right venue! justin pointed out the hard rock casino and told me it was there at the joint [so i'm going to blame him]. well we went there and no show. so we went to the hard rock cafe just outside the casino. no show there either. by this point i was 86.89% freaked out. esp since we were missing the show [since the ticket said it started at 6pm and it was already 6:15pm]. well, by this point a lovely half-naked waitress guided us to the other hard rock cafe. on las vegas blvd. fail for mel.

once we were there we discovered that the doors opened at 6- the show didnt' actually start til around 6:30- and there were 3 opening acts! we also discovered that stonifer had been hiding that anti-aging potion that snape drew up before SPOILER ALERT AVERTED- I WAS ABOUT TO SPOIL SOMETHING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE HP BOOKS- SPOILER ALERT AVERTED. whem! thank goodness i avoided that disaster. long story short- our stupid bouncer couldn't figure out stone's [mortal] age so she got dork-dotted. the good friend i am, ended up buying the shots.

we had four 3 opening acts- the best one being parade of lights- much like owl city if i do say. they gave us a shout out AND a free cd- so naturally they were my favs. the opening acts were part-impressionists too! one guy look like spock [parade of lights singer] and one looked like justin timberlake ["the philadelphia pop sensation"- can't remember their name] did i mention we were the front row? like there was the stage then us? it was a small venue and not that many people but thankfully, we staked out our spots like a shopaholic on black friday. rooney finally came on and they ROCKED it til canada day. they did hits like i'm shakin', blueside, and esp when did your heart go missing?

you might know mr. robert coppola schwartzman from the princess diaries or the virgin suicides. or rooney from 'the oc'. i think i first heard of them through my SIL lysney. either way, epic concert by an epic band that was full of awesomeness and epicness [that's for your kitty-cait]. they even had their signature californication flag up.

other highlights from the show: sparkles & her friend [two girls who wore sparkle eyeshadow like there was a clearance at the hello! kitty store- turns out i coached one of them in 2006. TOTALLY did not recognize her. she sparkled more than edward on a sunny, vegas day], stonifer's twin 20 years into the future, the crazy asian lady who had every single fashion influence workin for her, oh, and hanging out with these fools.

fun fact: did you know that rooney is named after principal ed rooney from ferris bueller's day off? and as always, the beatle's guided our journey home with their ever-knowing wisdom.

MODERN life lessons for parents

hold onto your kittens, we are not preggers. but are huge advocates of modern family. don't get me wrong, i am not just a tv-junkie. you are looking at reading from a girl who graduated college with a 3.9 GPA and was queen of the inkstatute, even got myself a medal for being awesome- i am no dummy. but i do enjoy the boob tube more than most.

last week i finished eat pray love by elizabeth gilbert but let me tell you, i could have done with just an eat love kind of book- the pray part was death so i skipped over it. did i learn much of anything? nope. sometimes knowledge and wisdom come from unexpected sources, such as a lovable comedy sitcom about 3 families. justin & i are huge fans- i love modern family more than glee, which says it all.

i am no mother to human kids, but i can boast raising 3 wonderful children of the fluffy variety. even i have things to learn....

don't share everything with your chicklens
"Your kids don't need to know who you were before you had them; they need to know who you wish you were, and try to live up to that person. They're gonna fall short, but better they fall short of the fake you than the real you." [claire-mother of 3]
for some reasons, this makes me think of my sister...

every father needs to be able to provide for his family
"I know I'm not the handiest guy, but I'm still a man and I want to be able to look out into my yard and say, 'There's a little bit of me in that princess castle." [mitchell- gay father of 1]

as a mother, letting go
"In my culture, mothers are very clingy to their sons. In fact, the leading cause of death among Colombian women is when their sons get married. But I'm not like that." [gloria- jay's younger, colombian wife]

sometimes its okay to bend the rules
"Ordinarily I'm a rule follower, but when someone tells me I can't bring my own snacks into their stadium? That's when I get a little... nuts. It's a free country right? Let's just say it Ruffles me when some Goobers tell me I have to spend my half my PayDay on their hot dogs." [phil- claire's husband]

the importance of exercise
"I decided to get in better shape quick. Didn't want to end up like my old man. Although he did die doing what he loved - refusing service to hippies who came into his store." [jay- father to claire & mitchell]

when you break the law, don't be an idiot [my own dad taught me this]
"A Realtor's just a ninja in a blazer. The average burglar breaks in and leaves clues everywhere. But not me. I'm completely clueless." [phil]

life is a continual balance of trade-offs
"I was gonna tell Claire about the dog. I was just waiting until she was in the right mood. Actually, I did get one right mood a couple nights ago... but I cashed that in for something else." [phil]

being a mother is #1 priority

"Yes, I gained a few extra pounds while we were expecting the baby. Which has been very difficult, but apparently your body does a nesting, very maternal, primal thing, where it retains nutrients, some sort of molecular physiology. But that's science; you can't fight it" [cam- mitchell's partner]

the father-son relationship is critical to self-esteem

"I always felt bad for people with emotionally distant fathers; it turns out I'm one of them. It's a miracle I didn't end up a stripper." [phil]

it's the right of the mother to be able to embarrass her daughter
"Alex, honey, when you're out shopping, you might want to pick yourself up a training bra. I know you don't need one now but your little boobies are going to come in soon. Mommy loves you, kitten!" [claire]

the in-laws & what to do with them
"A relationship with your father-in-law is tough. You need to prove you can stand up to him, while being respectful. It's like walking a tightrope, which by the way I can do, because I went to trapeze school. " [phil]

someone has to take care of the kids
"It's Cameron's turn to be out in the world interacting with other grown-ups while I get to stay at home and plot the death of Dora the Explorer." [mitchell]

staying strong in the face of adversity
"You never want your kids to see you scared. You want to be that rock that they grab a hold of in a stormy sea. Actually, a rock would sink. So a floating rock" [phil]

keeping love alive in a marriage
"It's Valentine's Day. It's not the day you run away from love. It's the day you chase it down." [cam]

help your spouse fulfill their potential [side note: justin is thinking about law school- ths is why i'm supportive of that]
"My dream for him is that one day, he'll be on the Supreme Court....So at parties I can tell people my partner is one of the Supremes" [cam]

this is why the prophet says not to gamble
"I could be a chump, do the usual, give the money back to the casino. Or I could do something for myself and get something from the casino store." [jay]

believe in your children
"Gloria: Children need to know that you believe in them; it's the most important thing. If you tell them they have wings, they will believe they can fly.

Jay: Oh really? I had a buddy that went to Woodstock, believed he could fly, didn't end great. That's why hotels' windows don't open anymore"

keep communication alive with your kids
"I'm cool dad, that's my thang. I'm hip, I surf the web, I text. LOL: laugh out loud, OMG: oh my god, WTF: why the face " [phil]