Polar Vortex Forever and Travel

Is it never going to be Spring? Because after 48 hours in warm LA weather and a tease of the 40s earlier today, back to the teens it goes. And even though this month is flying by, this damn frigid won't go away. So frustrating.

The trip to CA was good. I finally saw "Enough Said," and both Julia Louis Dreyfus and James Gadolfini were so good. So great. And Bono's daughter played Tess! She was gorgeous. It was good to see friends and to have a few decent meals, but man am I tired. And starving...been snacking all day. I just need to make it through yoga.

Scenes from a Snowstorm

The Washington Post recaps yesterday's blizzard.

I am anticipating 80 degrees in southern California this week. So help me. I am so done with winter.

It is 18 degrees right now. UGH.

The Flowers in the Attic Movie

My inner 14 year old is ridiculously excited for the Flowers in the Attic movie. I MUST remember to record this tomorrow night. I mean, this book was all the rage back when I was in junior high. Yes, totally inappropriate and icky. But still...Lifetime has even announced a sequel!

I suspect that big ratings amongst the 30-49 year old female demographic will result. 

'90s TV Heyday

Apparently, old cheesy 90s shows are quite popular amongst today's young 'uns.

It’s not the kind the entertainment fare that you’d expect to appeal to people who swoon over Justin Bieber and Snapchat. But The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the story of a western Philadelphia teen’s move to western, wealthy, suburban LA, and Full House, about a widowed father raising his three girls with the help of his brother and friend, are among the hit TV shows from 20 and 30 years ago that have deep followings among today’s teenagers. A few other shows that have leaped the generational divide: Saved by the Bell and Boy Meets World.

A younger generation’s appreciation for old TV shows isn’t new. I grew up watching The Dick Van Dyke Show and Happy Days on TV Land; my sister became absolutely obsessed with The Monkees when their show reran on MTV in the 1980s. Today there are plenty of reruns on MTV2, and almost anything old is available online, whether on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, or less legit but equally popular streaming sites.

I guess I grew up on Little House on the Prairie, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, the Brady Bunch (which ended before I was even born), even I Love Lucy. And we had only a fraction of the networks and choices that kids today have. So I am not sure that this is so new. I think the proliferation of new technology to watch current and past television facilitates this.  But I do think it is interesting that Saved by the Bell and Full House and Boy Meets World are SO popular today. I guess nostalgia (and a certain number of 20 somethings watching these shows) is a huge factor.

Celebrations

We had dinner at Bourbon Steak in Georgetown this past weekend to help a friend celebrate 4-0. The latest in a series of birthday celebrations for those born in 1974.

I have a little time to go before that particular milestone. Though I think I remember these guys turning 30. Or 26. And they remember each other turning 21. And here they are, friends so man years later, really a half of a lifetime later.

I am a little uneasy as this year starts. I don't know why. I don't feel particularly happy or content, but I'm not necessarily unhappy. It's an odd thing, I think. To just feel at the edge, and not entirely comfortable. Maybe there's a sense of groundhogs day, and maybe I'm just waiting for that family development I want and don't talk about.

There will be other steak dinners and other celebrations. And other field trips to what used to be the Brickskeller. How much time have we spent there over the years?

But where I am at, at 37 going on 38, I am not sure.

Bye Bye Polar Vortex

I really hate winter, and anything associated with deep freezes, lots of snow, frozen pipes, and bursts. So good riddance to the single digit temperatures, negative windchill, and ice of the last week. I am already ready for Spring, which is by far the best season. Flowers, longer days, blue skies, cherry blossoms, and increased warmth gets my two thumbs up. Maybe if it gets to 120 degrees again, maybe I will think differently. But not after this week, and the grief and Russia sickness it has brought.

Good riddance, polar vortex. Won't want to see you again.

Random Musings on a Slow Friday

1. It is so damn cold out. I hate cold > summer sweltering.
2. No idea who the next Lions coach would be, but man, would it be awesome if it could be Tony Dungy.
3. Rooting for Denver, then Cincinnati in the Super Bowl. Then New Orleans.
4. I've seen two decent movies this holiday season, American Hustle and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I think that is two more than I've saw last holiday.
5. The Unwinding by George Packer is sort of a continuation of the Charles Murray superzip theme, where elites and wealthy are stratified away from those of the main. There was a comment on a cnn.com article about what to do with winter air travel delays, and the comment questioned why CNN was devoting so much time to this. Very few travel by air, very few fly, and the media elites just don't get that. I guess I fly frequently, though not as frequently as that 1% elite do. But air travel is second nature. And for most, it is not. Packer's great flaw is not paying attention to the family dysfunction, what happens when the nuclear family unwinds and nothing is left. But a fascinating read thus far.
6. I wish the Red Wings could have won the Winter Classic. Though at least the Spartans won the Rose Bowl.
7. I'm not sure if Kim Jong Un really let his uncle be eaten alive by starving dogs, but the fact that we think it could be true says it all about that regime, no?
8. Best wishes for Detroit's new mayor. At least he isn't already serve to divide his constituents.
9. "White Winter Hymnal" is appropriate for today. Has it been a week since South Padre and Dirty Al's?
10. This day has been unceasingly slow.

This is the New Year

2014 is about 40 hours old, and I'm still processing the last ten days of 2013. More so than previous years, the holidays flew by. Maybe it was the shortened period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and maybe it was just not being at home, with less time off between Texas and New Year's. Maybe because I was yearning for it to be over. There was some great break time on the Island, and some needed family time. But it was chaotic and not particularly restful. There was less chilling and reading and not even one opportunity for a blissful walk around the mall, picking up cheap lotions and calendars. It was always a whirlwind, which I guess sums up 2013.

I don't know what this year will bring. I mean, I know what I would like it to bring. But I hope it brings peace, love, quiet, and family time. Anything more is just a bonus.