Hodgepodge #3

It's been at least two weeks since we've moved into the house. Our dining room still has some boxes (all of them belonging to the other girls; Alisha and I have both unpacked/set aside our own things), and I still have to figure out what posters I want up in my room. If they'll fit within my limited wall space, anyway.

We had a cook-out Sunday night as a kind of house-warming to celebrate. A handful of friends came to eat food and hang out with us. Andrew and Nate came from KC to visit--both of whom we don't get to see very often, so it was great to visit with both of them. Maybe it was just me and my simplistic expectations, but what I thought was going to be a leisurely, mellow get-together turned out to feel more like a let's-get-crunk "leisurely" party. Prairie and Emma were drunk. Alisha was tipsy and wanting to start a kind of dance-party thing in our living room (something I wasn't completely opposed to, but was still in that things-will-break nervous state). Amanda left at one point with John and a few of their friends, and my camera was passed around (ninety percent of the pictures from the party were not taken by me).

Overall it was a success--and it really was a lot of fun. The best part was getting the chance to see most of our friends in one place at one time. I am just not the kind of person who handles social situations very well. And there was a lot of loud talking and laughing and I got a little nervous.

The Glee Project's finale is next week. I was devastated and a little miffed when Hannah was sent home two weeks ago. (I mean, seriously, Glee Project? You're going to send home Hannah--who is the show--in favor of the two people who can sing better than her? Who furthermore, incidentally, received more criticism from Ryan Murphy than her. Explain that to me, please.) Anyway, I'm really hoping Damian will win, and I have a strong feeling--a.k.a. I'm wishing hard--that he'll be the one to come out on top. Or Alex. I wouldn't mind Alex winning. Samuel is incredibly talented, but we are still finding out things about him. What is his deal? And Lindsay...I don't know what I'd do if she wins.

Classes for the fall semester begin on Monday. I'm very discombobulated at the moment concerning this. The end of the summer "vacation" has taken a kind of toll on my patience and positivity. I don't know how to describe it; I'm not really angry, per say, nor am I in a bad mood. There have been days where I have indeed had the chance to sit back. But those days were few, sporadic, and never lasted longer than three days. Why didn't I take off a week or two? And why did the summer go by so fast? I need some time at home, away from everything here. I want to see my parents longer than just three days. I want to be able to meet up with Maggie so I can visit with her, and also see my goddaughter Emilyn, whom I haven't seen since the beginning of June. I want to see my cats Angus and Naomi (both of which I'm technically barred from bringing to live with me at the new house). I don't want to have to worry about work or classwork. I want to start the sweater I've been meaning to knit for my sister (if my poor knitting mojo doesn't let me down, that is).

C'est la vie. I think this will make Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks all the more special, however. I wonder if it's healthy for this kind of thing to happen to a person. (I'm almost sure it isn't.) This is why there are paid vacations at Big Kid Jobs and breaks in education. Everyone needs a moment to pause or they'll combust.

I'll leave you this afternoon with new bits of awesome from Lady Gaga. Music is a wonderful thing; there is something really special about losing yourself in the sounds and the words. For some reason I keep thinking about that one part of Disney's Fantasia where they try to recreate the visuals of the sounds. I don't know if the two things have an actually connection, but it makes sense in my head.

Yay/Nay for Glee 02x18, “Born This Way”

As you can see, there aren't many nays this week, because "Born This Way" was EXCELLENT. The story was spot-on perfect and there was a lot of strong character development, something I really latch on to. (And they're so good with character stuff; I'm in awe much of the time I watch an episode.) I found it comparable to "Laryngitis" from Season 1 (and just as good, too). I think this one is my favorite of Season 2 thus far, and my giddiness has not quite faded...

On to the Yay/Nay. Heads up: spoilers abound. 

Yay: Santana’s voice-over—or basically ANYTHING she says in this episode. Yes, she is a “judgmental bitch”—but she’s also hilarious. One of my favorite bits from this week: “…She’s so gullible I could convince her that by royal decree, I’d made her being with me the law of the land.”

Yay: I die every time Sam does an impersonation. He needs more of them. Stat.

Nay: We still don’t know much about Sam, and I didn’t like the fact that we didn’t hear much from him this week. (Though by the looks of the promo for next week, we’ll get to see more of him. I hope. I'm tired of not knowing what his deal is.)

Yay: The White T-shirts. Such a bold idea: sporting your biggest insecurity with pride, for everyone to see, and in turn, taking hold of it and embracing it. It seems like an easy thing to do at first, but accepting ourselves is so hard to do. It would take every ounce of courage to sport them because we are our own worst critics. Self-acceptance is hard to achieve, and this lesson really tackles that head on. Beautifully done, Glee.

Yay: “Unpretty/I Feel Pretty”. First, it’s a PERFECT song choice. Second, this scene is beautiful. It is so emotionally charged and bittersweet. There’s Quinn on one end, confident in her looks (and a little conceited about it). Rachel is on the other side, wishing to step over to the other side, because not only will she “become beautiful,” she will also acquire the kinds of things Quinn possesses. In short, there’s a reason Rachel specifically wants Quinn’s nose. This tendency to compare oneself to others is not uncommon; I remember the girls that I wanted to be as I went through junior high and high school, and I know I’m not the only one secretly wishing to have those kinds of clothes, or that particular hair color/cut, or have that certain look about them. By achieving any of these things, perhaps someone will notice and admire you, too. This storyline was very strong, and I’m glad they included it, because it’s important to address.

Yay: Santana’s conversation with Dave. There are so many awesome things about this scene.

Yay: Finn and Mike dancing.

Yay: I love whenever Mr. Schue is Real Mr. Schue and not Crazy Out-Of-His-Mind Mr. Schue. This was a great week for him.

Yay: The meeting between Burt, Kurt, Dave and his father, Principal Figgins, and Mr. Schue. Burt once again gets the Kick-Ass Dad Award (and Dave’s dad gets cool points for being understanding). Also, I adore the exchange between Kurt and Dave. Hell yes. Awesome.

Yay (times a BILLION): Kurt is back at McKinley!!!!!!!!!! Whoop whoop! does happy dance

Yay: “Somewhere Only We Know”. Beautiful song, beautiful cover, and a lump in my throat that hasn’t yet gone away. Also, seeing Kurt and Blaine together, sharing looks and holding hands and general cuteness and care for one another… I’m just so happy they’re together. LOVE.

Nay: Not a lot of Blaine this week, but I understand why. There were a lot of important things to get to this episode. 

Yay: Kurt singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye”. He nails it, and I got chills, and I am amazed and awed. This is one reason why Kurt is so awesome. So much emotion, so much power…. It’s the perfect song at the perfect moment. And the way it's filmed....

Yay: The Lucy Caboosy storyline. Quinn is a bitch, no denying it—but she’s also 3-dimensional, and I LOVED that they included this storyline. Powerful stuff. 

Yay: “Why did you bring me here? Is there a sale at Claire’s?” And later: -“Is she here?” –“No. This is a mall in Ohio.” LOL

Yay: Kurt and Puck’s Barbravention for Rachel. AWESOME.

Yay: Brittany mistaking “Lebanese” for the correct spelling of lesbian and her speech to Santana; and later at the end of the episode, when we see Santana wearing the Lebanese shirt, watching the others perform. Well done. Well done indeed.

Yay: “Born This Way”. Chills. Happiness. A fine example of the breathless, beautiful, shining moments we look forward to on Glee. It successfully pulled together all the empowerment and emotion and issues into one kick-ass performance. I love this part so much. Elegant and stately. Gaga would be proud.