Happy Halloweenie!

Halloween weekend was kind of a bust for me.

I was really excited about my costume - which, for the record, is incredibly weird because I do not ever dress up. (Last year, I was Frank from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. So, I carried around a Coke can of red wine and wore my glasses).

This year, I was Harry Potter. These are the only pictures to survive (Which is also very typical for me).

But, I actually dressed up and I didn't totally half-ass it, which was one of my 23 for 23 goals.

The costume part was a letdown. And, so was my pumpkin carving.
No one ever told me how hard it is to carve a pumpkin, but I made do.

I obviously wish it came out better, but not bad. And for those that can't tell - it says Feminist KILLJOY.

And, here's Nate's pumpkin.

Tonight, I'll be drinking beer, eating pizza, trick-or-treating with my family, and checking out all the haunted houses in my neighborhood - I've seen two so far.

This popped out at me and I had a bunch of firemen laugh at me for jumping.


Have a safe and happy Halloweenie!

Book #2: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

I've been super excited to read this book. And after watching the first few episodes of The Mindy Project, I was even more psyched to read it. So, needless to say, I finished it in one evening.

I've been on this weird Ghostbusters kick and it was great to see Mindy say she'd love to do a remake - as long as she's the one to say, "I ain't afraid of no ghost."

It was refreshing to read a book and really relate to the author. She spoke candidly about her struggle with weight - which is a topic that is constantly on my mind, but never on my tongue. And about her struggle to find her way to where she is now.

It is a collection of essays, essentially. And it's funny to read. She's witty and smart and definitely relatable.

I actually regret reading it so quickly because now I don't have anything to look forward to.

2/50 - 23 for 23 Goal #3

Why Staying At Home Is Better Than Anything Else:

1) Clothing Optional.
When I'm at home, I don't have to wear pants or a bra or really...anything. If I want to sit naked on my couch and eat chicken salad, I can do that. If I'm out at a bar or over at a friend's place, I can't do that. And who wants to be out and be restricted by clothes? .... That made me feel like I'm writing a brochure for a nudist colony. But, hear me out, being almost naked at home is usually always better than being out and clothed.

2) No Hair and Make-Up.
The worst part of getting ready for a night out, at least for me, is doing my hair and make-up. It's so boring! I'm all alone in the bathroom with a curling iron and I just have to stand there and my only entertainment is making faces at myself in the mirror. If I stay at home, I don't have to go through that. I can put my hair up in a bun and be done. I don't have to worry if my bangs are done correctly because the television isn't about to judge me. And the best part, at the end of the night, I don't have to wash my face because it's already clean.

3) CHEAP.
Staying at home is much cheaper than going out. Even if you spring for that $6 bottle of wine (Yes. YES.), you've already paid for your entertainment (Netflix, internet bill, cable bill, etc.) and you've already paid for all that food in your freezer (Yeah, I'm talking about the shitty frozen pizzas you got on sale and you hate yourself for liking). Going out requires paying for parking or a cab, paying for overpriced drinks, cover charges, etc. You don't have to worry about any of that at home.

4) No Disappointments.
When you stay at home and rewatch every episode of 30 Rock (Hello last weekend!), you already know what you're getting into. Liz Lemon isn't going to disappoint you (except for this past season, she will then). Your friends will. Things will not go the way you want them to. Someone will cry. Someone might throw up. There will be a fight.
But.
Not with television.

So, don't feel bad about staying home with a bottle of incredibly cheap wine and ignoring the invitations from your friends to go out. You're the one that's having a much better night than they are.

Weekly Round-Up.

- This is the most depressing read you'll have all week, or at least if you're a 20-something year old with no direction.

- I've been watching this on repeat since I found it. When I said I wouldn't get sick of this song, I meant it.

- I just found my new favorite tumblr - Kanye Wes Anderson.

- This is why I have a brother - to put air in my tires because I didn't know how:

- This is an incredible response to Ann Coulter's insensitive tweet after the last debate.

- Sexism in Halloween costumes.

What I Bought...

1.

These Madden Girl boots from Famous Footwear for $50.

2.

Rock & Candy Boat shoes for $20

3.
I got these from Target for $10. It was either these, which are adorable, or the gloves specially made for smart phones, but those were $20 - no thanks.

And for good measure, here is my terrible hair day complete with photo-bombing brother:

Travel Planning.

Aside from actually being out, my favorite part of travelling is the planning involved.
I love looking for the best hotel deals, the places I need to check out, mapping out where I need to go, and essentially, reading up on where I'm going next.

In November, I'm making an East Coast tour - going to D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. And while all that is being finalized, I keep finding myself looking at driving distances between Arizona and other places I've never been.

One of my goals for my 23 for 23 is to travel to 5 new states and I can't wait to accomplish that goal.

So, here are my current ideas...

1. Portland, Oregon. I've definitely never been and I have a friend out there, which is always comforting when travelling to a new place. I could fly or drive - maybe. It would definitely depend on when I went.
2. Denver, Colorado. I don't even know very much about Denver other than I want to know more about it. This is is a definite drive trip and I could go through New Mexico on my way there.
3. Omaha, Nebraska. I've been thinking a lot about Omaha for some reason and I haven't even been listening to a lot of Conor Oberst/Saddle Creek/Bright Eyes lately, but I heard a Planet Money about how "hip" Omaha is becoming.
4. Seattle, Washington. Aside from Nebraska, I'm seeing what a west-coast centric list this is. But, living on the West, these are all places I feel like I could easily get to consider how broke I'll be after my big trip next month. Seattle is cool. People like Seattle. I want to see what the fuss is about.
5. Is there even anything cool in Utah? It's right nearby. There's the Four Corners - I'd be in 4 states at once. 

And of course, I'm craving another trip to California. Disneyland? The beach? San Francisco? It's been way too long. My last Disney trip was to World and it rained the entire time (And I wasn't happy about it). 

Mostly, I'm just thinking about where I can jump in my car and drive to - so I only have to worry about gas and hotel. 

Where do you want to go?

Book #1: The Casual Vacancy

"The Casual Vacancy" - JK Rowling.

Full disclaimer - I grew up on Harry Potter. I have read and reread all of those books. And, I have idolized Rowling for creating the Harry universe. So, I was really apprehensive about the idea of her writing a "grown-up" book.

The plot really interested me. It's about the politics of a small-town and what happens when a member of the community dies, leaving a vacant spot on the Council. I love politics and I especially love reading about them.

At first, I felt like Rowling was trying to impress my age range. It felt very, "LOOK AT ME GUYS, I CAN SAY 'FUCK' TOO!" And the weird details about the boy's balls and hiding his erection. The only phallic object I want Rowling talking about is a wand. At first, her use of "fuck" was jarring and it took up most of a few pages. As the book continued, it died down and didn't feel so forced anymore.

I also like how she includes Facebook. One of the characters knew what someone's boyfriend looked like because of Facebook. We all do some Facebook lurking and it was refreshing to see in literature. When I told my friend about this part, he said, "You're right, Rowling is trying too hard. 'Look guys! I get the internet!'" At least there's no Instagramming.

I couldn't put it down. It felt fast paced. She moved seamlessly between the different characters and I kept wanting her to go back and address her previous bombshells.

I read it because it was J.K. Rowling, but I enjoyed it on its own. I highly recommend the book.


1/50 - 23 for 23 #3

Kindle Fire HD Review.

My mom got me a Kindle Fire HD for my birthday because after reading all about it online, I decided this was the best e-reader for me. Not only can I read using it, but I can watch movies and TV shows. And, that's all I really wanted to be able to do.

Pros:
- Size. At 7 inches, it is the perfect size. I can see what's on the screen and my hand doesn't feel strained when I hold it to read.

- Navigation. It took me a little while to figure this out and honestly, I'm still trying to understand all the tricks, but it's actually really easy to use. I'm so used to my iPhone that I was at a disadvantage. My mom thinks it's really easy and likes that she can quickly go between things - she loves the Pinterest app and playing Angry Birds.

- Amazon Prime. Ok, I've had an Amazon Prime account for a long time, but it's seriously so great. Aside from the free shipping, they also have free shows to watch and yeah, a lot of the titles are also on Netflix, but there are some great differences,
            - The West Wing
            - Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure
            - Season 2 of Downton Abbey

- I'm out of my reading rut. After graduating college this May, I thought, "I will have time to read ALL THE BOOKS." But really, I've just watched All the Television Shows on Netflix. I'm actually really excited to be reading and I feel like I can easily complete my goal of reading 50 books over the next year.

Cons:
- Not compatible with Calibre. When I first thought about getting a Kindle Fire, I immediately redownloaded Calibre, an application for ebooks, and put all the ebooks from my harddrive onto it. From what I read, I could easily plug the Kindle Fire into my computer and load the books. However, with the new Kindle Fire, it is not compatible with my MacBook and definitely not syncing with the Calibre. It took a long time to figure out how to get the books on the Kindle (I have to email them from my Calibre straight to my Kindle email address). And, the worst part is that they don't show up as Books, but rather in my Documents.
I've looked up different ways to fix this, but to no avail. My brother keeps swearing I'll figure it out sooner or later.

- How do I put movies on? I still haven't figured out how to put some of my movies on it since my computer doesn't recognize the Kindle Fire when I plug it in. And, when I'm travelling, I won't have steady internet access and I'd like to just have some movies on my device to easily watch.

- Apps. I'm still trying to find some decent apps, but I feel really limited with the selection on Amazon. I've heard I can download straight from Android sites, but I haven't ventured that far yet. And I don't even know what kind of apps I'm looking for.


So, the cons are mostly things that I've been too lazy to figure out and I'm just frustrated that it hasn't been easy. But I love it so far and I can't stop reading.

Weekly Round-Up.

- This video is the best thing I've seen/heard all week.

- My Queen (Bey) has been confirmed to perform at the Super Bowl half-time show.

- Two of my favorite things - medieval religious art and Star Wars. (I am not even kidding).

- This is a blue Big Bird from the Dutch version of Sesame Street... whaaaat?

- The best Paul Ryan video. Ever.

- This little girl is the coolest.

birthday recap.

My mom bought me a Kindle Fire HD and so far, I love it! I'll be blogging all about it when I get a chance (when I figure it all out).


My grandpa took me out for pad thai - it's the best pad thai I've ever had. And then gave me the necklace I've been asking for for almost twenty years.

I went out with my friends later and found my second favorite bar on Mill Ave.


Seriously...


So far, 23 isn't that bad.

23 for 23.

Today is my 23rd birthday. And this is a list of 23 new-ish things that I want to do this year.

1) Run a 5K

2) Travel outside of the U.S.
3) Read 50 books in a year.

1. The Casual Vacancy
2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
3. Bossypants
4. Gone Girl
5. Here's the Story
6. Loose Girl
7. Sharp Objects
8. Under the Banner of Heaven
9.  John Adams
10. Dark Places
11. This Is How You Lose Her
12. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
13. How Did You Get This Number?
14. The Fault in Our Stars
15. Drift
16. The Road
17. Breasts
18. Space Chronicles
19. In the Garden of Beasts
20. Maphead
21. World War Z
22. Orange is the New Black
23. How to be a Woman

4) Take the GRE's.
5) Take a yoga class.
6) Ride a mechanical bull.
7) Play in the snow.
8) Drop everything one weekend and drive to the beach.
9) Take a pole-dancing class.
10) Take a wine tasting class.
11) Visit 5 new states in the U.S.
12) Get another tattoo.
13) Attend the ballet.
14) Ride a horse.
15) Go through my closet and get rid of things I don't wear/need.
16) Visit Lowell Observatory.
17) Shoot a gun.
18) Do karaoke.
19) Go hiking.
20) No more soda.
21) Finally go to Times Square.
22) Actually dress up for Halloween.
23) Ride a segway.

What I Wore...

Dress: H&M

Cardigan: Old Navy

Belt: From a shirt I bought like 3 years ago.

The best part about Arizona is that I can get away wearing cute dresses in October.  The worst part is that you can see all my beautiful mosquito bites on my legs.

Oh well. 

I wish I had a bigger belt for this, but I love this outfit.

Weekly Round-Up.

Pumpkin Keg? I'm thinking yes.


Great video on procrastination - you should definitely watch it later.


This Dos Equis display is at my store and allegedly, it's also somewhere on reddit. I'm kind of amazed that a real life person from the internet came into my store.
If you can't tell, it's the Most Interesting Man in the World upside down and caught in a spider web.

LOVE ISN'T REAL.

This is why Pixar is the best.


I "made" my mom a chocolate cake for her birthday. Lesson learned - there's a reason I don't bake.


 My happy nephew came over and we sang "I'm the Baby - Gotta Love Me"and then he peed on me.


I don't think my mom would approve, but you can buy this on etsy.

How I Would Have Ended The Office in Season 8 (Multiple Times)

I think my biggest problem with The Office started when Jim and Pam finally got together.
Will they or won't they was the reason I really liked the show in the beginning - because trust me, it wasn't because I could handle watching Michael Scott give me second hand embarrassment.

And then, they did. They got married, they had babies, Michael Scott left, and the show sucked. Season 8 was terrible.

But I still watched it.

And the entire time, I thought of ways that they could have immediately ended the show.
I recently rewatched it on Netflix (I really hate myself apparently) and here's how The Office could have ended....multiple times:

1) In Episode 6, "Doomsday," Dwight sets up this accountability system that basically is on the verge of getting them all in trouble with the new CEO - Robert California. Jim goes out to stop Robert from seeing the email (THIS IS A DUMB EPISODE).
Well, Robert should have gotten the email.
And closed the branch because they suck.

2) Episode 7 "The Replacement" - This episode is about Pam's replacement - Kathy. Pam is worried that Jim thinks Kathy is pretty (AND SHE IS). This plants the seed that Jim could cheat on Pam.
I would leave this episode alone, but include more of Jim looking at the camera and shrugging. "Is Kathy attractive?" SHRUG. AND END.
THE SEEDS OF MISTRUST SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLANTED.

3) In Episode 12, "The Pool Party," the entire cast goes to Robert California's house before he sells it for one last hurrah. Jim wants to leave to go home to his babies and Pam, but gets stuck drinking wine with Robert. When he leaves, he hits something.
HOW IT SHOULD HAVE GONE - Jim gets a DUI and goes to jail.
4) In Episode 16, "After Hours," Jim is on special assignment in Florida, without Pam but with the hottie replacement Kathy from Episode 7. In this episode, she will not leave him alone. She goes in his room and is very flirtatious - even taking a shower in his hotel room.
THEY SHOULD HAVE HOOKED UP. 

The show should have taken those seeds of mistrust that I wanted in episode 7 and had everything come to a head in episode 16. COME ON, WRITERS.

5) HAD JIM HOOKED UP WITH KATHY... they could have kept some of their episodes about Andy going after Erin (DON'T CAREEEEEEE), but the big thing would have been about Pam not knowing what Jim did and Jim shrugging a lot - JIM NEEDS TO SHRUG MORE. And it all could have come to a head in the season (SERIES) finale when Jim leaves Pam and Angela admits that it was Andy's baby ... or something. I don't even care. Or Michael Scott could wake up and IT WAS ALL A DREAM.

Or, in earlier seasons, when Ryan started the fire, he should have just burnt down the whole place so I would never have to have seen season 8.

That said, season 9 is very feisty and I like it.
BUT, I LIKE MY SUGGESTIONS MORE.

Why I Hate House Hunters .. and it's not because it's fake.

I think by now, we all know that House Hunters is fake.

If you didn't know, I'm sorry that I was the one to break the news to you, but it's been on Jezebel so I consider it old news by now.

After finding out the news (...or confirming my suspicions), I really didn't care. And I still don't. And I still critique the show like it's real.

- PAINT COLOR DOESN'T MATTER.
This is one of the most common complaints on the show. "Oh, I hate the paint color" or "COULD YOU IMAGINE LIVING IN THIS GREEN BATHROOM?" I watch HGTV - I see the commercials for how easy it is to buy paint.
It makes sense that it's fake and they use this because they need reasons to hate the houses they don't pick.
BUT, can you imagine being the friend that loaned out House #2 and have to watch your friends come in and talk shit about your nasty green bathroom?

- FLOORING.
"Oh, I hate carpet." RIP IT UP. Simple. These people act like you can't change anything about the house.
(SIDE NOTE: That show with the two brothers that look like the Road to El Dorado - whenever they show people a house - and I just want to point out that the premise of their show is that they do renovation so people can have their perfect houses - the people yell about how they hate renovation - THAT IS THE PREMISE OF THE SHOW).

- The realtor constantly saying, "They're just going to have to give up some of their must-haves if they're going to find a house in this price range."
OH SHUT UP.

- And then, the realtor always picks something WAAAAAY off budget. And then gets upset when the people aren't feeling it.
YOU KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

And a bonus complaint about House Hunters International....

- These people go to foreign countries and then complain that there isn't enough space or that the house layout is not like it was in America.
OK, ETHNOCENTRISM. SHUT UP.
You can't go to Europe and expect everything to be AMERICANIZED.
Those are the worst episodes and I actually refuse to watch Americans move abroad.

House Hunters is fake and that doesn't matter because it still infuriates me.

Happy Birthday Mommy.

Today is my Mom's birthday.

My mom, me, and my Aunt on her birthday in 1995. And my Papa hiding on the side with his Coors Light.


My mom and my little brother Nate.


My mom, me, and my Papa on my Graduation in May. (Also noticing how crooked this picture is - my brother is the worst photographer).

My mom is the best. I kept asking if we could go to the new Hooters for her birthday tonight, but she said no. Her loss. Papa, Nate, and I were very excited for some wings and Hooters.

Weekend Review.

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It was my high school's Homecoming football game. I've promised my sister that I would make it to at least one game and since it wasn't 100 degrees outside, this was the game I picked.

She isn't even waving at me. She found some boy in the stands that was more important than her sister.

It was a blow-out and after watching her perform during half-time, we left. And, hit up my favorite bar - the Tally Ho.

Saturday was filled with pumpkin bagels and margaritas.

And Sunday, I worked, unfortunately.

A very family oriented weekend. How was your's? Let me know in the comments!

Things From This Week.

- Sticking to a running schedule is super hard. Especially with all my family members needing to be a different places on different days with constantly changing times.

- Bus tickets purchased for my east coast trip. Only $10.50 through Megabus! I've used Bolt Bus in the past, but Megabus services more areas.

- 
Best Bad Lip Reading yet.

- Read about Big Bird's debate reaction.

- Although I didn't watch the debate, here was a good drinking game for it. Who's going to make one for the Vice Presidential one?

- And of course, my new favorite subreddit - sedughtion.

Pumpkin Beer Review

I can't control myself around pumpkin flavored things. I think I might actually turn into a pumpkin this fall. So, everytime I walk through the liquor department at the grocery store, my eyes bulge out of my head and I want to buy ALL the pumpkin beers.

Here is my completely biased reviews on what I've tried so far...

1.

Ace's Pumpkin Cider

Technically not a beer, but delicious nonetheless. Want something that actually tastes like pumpkin without all those nutmegy spices? This is your drink. It's sweet and goes down easy. I think I've converted most of my friends. Also, this is gluten-free. Only bad thing? It's difficult to find. I haven't ever been able to find it in my regular grocery store and I have to go to one particular liquor store that I know always has it in the fall. And it's a little more expensive, but definitely worth it. 10/10.

2.

Blue Moon's Harvest Moon

This was my first ever pumpkin beer. I tried it immediately after turning 21 and I fell in love. I ran out and bought a 12-pack. It's still delicious and I always recommend it to people. Very easy to find - I get it at both grocery stores by my house. And, the price isn't too bad. It does not have a distinct pumpkin flavor - there's definitely more of the spices, but it's really good. 9/10

3.

Punk'n

First off, the name is adorable and the label is really well done. Those were the first things that caught my eye. Also, this was way cheaper than Sam Adam's pumpkin beer, so that's why I got a 6-pack of this at the grocery store instead of trying Sam Adams. Definitely not a strong pumpkin flavor, but it's a delicious beer nevertheless. It's pretty dark and I really enjoy it. It's a really good ale despite the lack of pumpkin. 8/10

4.

Four Peaks' Pumpkin Porter

This dark and delicious beer is my favorite actual pumpkin beer. However, I HATE going to Four Peaks - parking sucks and it's humid inside (YES, I know it's a brewery, but I just don't like being in there). But, I always try to make it in to buy a growler of this seasonal favorite. I cannot recommend it enough. 10/10

Not a Pumpkin beer, but still a fall flavor...

Harvest Moon Caramel Apple Spiced Ale

I think the problem was that my expectations were high. I love Blue Moon, so I was thinking I just got myself a new fall favorite. But alas, this was terrible. I tried pawning it off on my family and they weren't having any of it. There's no flavor whatsoever. I have 3 left in my fridge from the fall variety pack if anyone wants them. I don't think I can handle drinking it again. 0/10

I definitely want to try the Sam Adams pumpkin beer this year. Any other pumpkin favorites you think I should try? Let me know.

Games I Can't Stop Playing...

Whale Trail is my new favorite game. This is what I play when I'm watching TV, when I can't fall asleep, etc. It's ridiculously addictive. It reminds me a lot of Tiny Wings. You are a whale and you have to eat these little colored dots to gain power and avoid the clouds. And the only thing you have to do is press the screen to go up. You collect Krill to buy things like a 8x Multiplier and Instant Frenzy and also, different characters to play as.

It also has Bonus Levels - that reminds me of Angry Birds. You go through incredibly quick rounds and get stars based on your points. That's what I'm currently working on. 

I know I'll be sick of this in a few weeks though just like every other iPhone game I play.

What games can you not get enough of?