'Time Traveler's Wife' Series Travels to ABC

Woo woo, this is my 1000th post! Too bad it wasn't a bit more substantial. But I am excited to hear that they might turn The Time Traveler's Wife into a TV series. Makes more sense than a movie because it's a confusing tale to tell to trim down to 2 hours. And I loved the book. (via)

Guess where I'm going next week?

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Thank You, South Carolina!
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Headed to vacation in South Carolina on Sunday! Looks like I may see some interesting characters.

The Superstars Champs are Crowned

I've been watching The Superstars on ABC this summer. Right up my alley... sports plus celebrities trying something out of their element. I will pretty much watch anything that has celebrities trying something out of their element. It was enjoyable enough. I'd recommend it. All the episodes are available on Hulu. If you want to watch, then I'd suggest you stop reading though because I'm going to spoil the winners.

See, the show paired professional athletes with celebrities and the athletes/celebs competed as teams. The problem is that one of the celebrities was Maks from Dancing with the Stars. A professional dancer was one of the celebrities? But isn't he also a professional athlete? Seems like a ringer to me. And it's no surprise that his team won! They basically dominated the entire show, winning something like 8 of 14 events. Even expecting the outcome, it wasn't a bad show though.

"Netflix to stream early seasons of 'Lost,' others"

This news about Netflix streaming the first five seasons of Lost plus some of the older seasons of Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives is great news to me, even though I've already seen all those seasons. Now that I have a Tivo, I'm able to watch their streaming stuff directly on my television so anytime I want to watch an old episode of Lost, it will be easy to pull up on my TV!! (via)

That reminds me that I've meant to do a review of my Tivo. I should do that soon.

Going crazy?

Maybe a month or so ago my closet door broke in my bedroom. The doors are full-length mirror doors that slide. What happened was the back door's frame broke away from the mirror part. I didn't hurry to call maintenance to come fix the door because my bedroom was a mess. Plus, the door still basically worked. It was just a little tougher to slide it. It's been a few weeks now and I still haven't gotten around to calling. But yesterday I noticed that the door is fixed! I don't understand it! Did maintenance come in and do some sort of checkup and fix it on their own without telling me? Did it somehow fix itself? I have absolutely no idea but I guess the latter option makes more sense... maybe one time when it got pushed to the end of the closet, it reattached itself. But it sure is on there securely now and I had tried to reattach it when it first broke and it was way too heavy. So, so crazy. I wish I knew what happened.

Two Good Summer Movies

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend advanced screenings for two upcoming summer movies and both were really good so I highly recommend them.

The first was Julie & Julia, which opens August 7th. It stars Amy Adams and Meryl Streep as Julie Powell and Julia Child, respectively. Both do a great job! This movie is based on a book of the same name, which ironically has been suggested as a book club book at one of my book clubs probably at least 5 times and I've never had any desire to read it. The movie is a little different from the book because it's adapted not only from Julie Powell's book (where she decides to cook her way through a Julia Child cookbook in a year's time) but also from Julia Child's book. So, while you are seeing Julie's experience as she struggles with this project and attempts to find meaning in her life, you simultaneously learn about Julia Child. Anyway, it's really good. I'm not sure I'm doing a good job of selling it.

The second movie, (500) Days of Summer, is a romantic comedy, I guess, but so not cliched like most romantic comedies are (but don't get me wrong, the cliched romantic comedy is not always a bad thing!). This movie follows a guy (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the 500 days of his relationship with Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel. The movie states from the first sentence that this is not a love story and I guess it really isn't but it's really funny and clever and enjoyable. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is maybe best known for playing the kid in 3rd Rock from the Sun, does such a great job and looks so adorable in all the sweater vests he wears. I don't want to spoil it or anything but it's very good. Go see it.

I Want One: Crocs Coasters

It's funny that I don't find Crocs that cute when they are actually on someone's feet but these little Crocs coasters are adorable. And on sale! (via)

Pet Airways

So now there is an airline solely for pets. Interesting. It seems remarkable that there is a service for this but I suppose people need to transport their pets across the country and don't want to ride with them in the car. Right now, it looks like only cats and dogs are eligible but soon reptiles, birds, and even pigs will be welcome! But judging from the content on the site, the pets are taken care of very well.

Some of the pictures on the site are really funny and it seems like they have sort of a tongue-in-cheek approach, so good for them, but the constant use of "pawsengers" is a little annoying.(via)

Power Outage

Ugh. Our power went out last night around 11:30ish. Again. It was just a few weeks ago when our power went out at night for about 5 hours. The power company supposedly caused an intentional power outage in late May to update our lines so that unplanned outages wouldn't occur. Now it's been twice since that happened that not only did we have unplanned outages, but they were lengthy outages. Before that, I don't think we had a single outage the entire 16 months I'd lived here. This time, the power didn't come back on until about 11:30am. So, yes, 12 hours. The weirdest thing is that a few hours after the power went out, they restored partial service. This meant that only one in four of the outlets in my room worked, that our kitchen light worked but our refrigerator had no power. The bathroom light worked but the outlet in there didn't. Our air conditioner didn't work... etc, etc. It was really odd and ridiculously inconvenient. Thankfully, the outlet that operates the fan that I sleep with was the one outlet in my room that stayed on all night so I didn't die from heat exhaustion.

Flowers!

A couple weeks ago, we were having our monthly office birthday party when someone brought flowers into the board room and said the flower delivery was for me! How exciting! I couldn't for the life of me figure out who would have sent me flowers but it was a very pretty arrangement (see below!). Turns out one of the chairpeople I work with regularly as part of my job felt I deserved flowers so she had them sent to me. The card said, "Thanks for all you do!" It was so sweet and unexpected. So I thought I'd share and show everyone a pic of the flowers. And my messy office.

"Top 10 Longest Novels in the English Language"

In other words, here are ten books I will definitely avoid. I hate reading long books. (via)

The Real World comes to DC

Big news in DC is the upcoming filming of the next season of The Real World, MTV's long-running reality show. There have been reports all over DC news sites and blogs on which house is being remodeled for the seven strangers to move into... and I've been following it all with an interested eye. Here's the latest news, with pictures of the reported house at 2000 S St. NW! There are some pictures of the inside of the house here, too.

I haven't watched The Real World in, oh, maybe 5 years or more (probably way more) but anytime a TV show or movie is going to shoot nearby, it catches my eye. And, it really amuses me to read the snarky comments that appear at the end of every speculative blog post about how the kids are going to ruin the city and make going to your favorite hangouts impossible. One neighbor to the new house has even started a blog. Very entertaining.

Library Moms

I just came across this article and enjoyed it as it lists some celebrities and famous people who had moms who were librarians. Morrissey, B.J. Armstrong, Emily from the Indigo Girls... all had librarian moms. Pretty cool. Tim Gunn's mom helped set up the CIA library!! (via)

I Want One: Lighted Tweezers

These Lighted Slant Tweezers by Tweezerman seem pretty sweet. I've always heard good things about Tweezerman slant tweezers but to add a little light to them - cool! Sometimes a little extra light while plucking would be fantastic. They are $25 but I kinda feel like that might be worth it. (via)

H Street Country Club

This H Street Country Club place looks kinda cool. They have an actual miniature golf course inside the bar. Restaurant. Whatever. I guess it just opened today. And it's Mexican food. Yum! I'll have to check it out sometime. (via)

Good Luck Story

This evening after work, I was waiting for the train to come and sitting on a bench and reading. When the train came, I got on, not realizing that I apparently had dropped my Smartrip card - which holds my fare and saved fare of over $250! I rode my two stops and got off the train and tried to find my card that allows me to pay and exit. This was when I realized that my card was nowhere to be found. It wasn't in my pockets; it wasn't in my bag; it wasn't in my book. It was nowhere. I didn't even know how you exit the train station without the card. I mean, you have to swipe it when you enter and swipe it when you leave so what happens if you lose it in the middle of your trip? The train going the other way arrived so I hopped on it, thinking not too much time had passed so maybe if I went back to where I got on, I would find my card lying on the ground or something. So I rode the two stops again, got off, went to where I had been sitting and sure enough there was my card on the ground, untouched! Someone was nearly standing on it but hadn't picked it up. Phew! I retrieved it and rode the train AGAIN and got off at my stop and walked home. What a relief. Thank god no one stole it. I think I had two things working in my favor. One, I didn't get on the train at my regular stop right by work, which is always really busy and crowded. I walked to the library after work and got on at the next stop east, which is always pretty empty. Two, I have an Obama card rather than a regular one (further down that page). Most people have the regular one and aren't even aware that there is an Obama one, so I think some potential thieves could have walked right by it not realizing what it was. Phew!

Post Hunt

Also this weekend, I participated in the Post Hunt. It's like a scavenger hunt (sponsored by the Washington Post) where instead of having to find objects, you try to solve puzzles around the downtown DC area. Puzzles that are set up specifically for the event, I should add. It was tough! And pretty hard to explain. There is lots of info and some videos if you go that link, though. Let's just say that we didn't win. We had a team of six and we were pretty stumped, particularly by the statues puzzle. Although the winners were local, the 2nd place team was from Arizona and the 3rd place team was from Florida. People travel all over the country to do this? Crazy. It was definitely fun but it also made me feel way stupid.

Side note: Dave Barry was there! Does he count as a celebrity? I think so. He's one of the founders of the Hunt.

GI Film Festival

Last Wednesday, I found out I won a free VIP pass to the GI Film Festival! It was an all-access pass to all the movies that were playing, including some VIP movie showings and receptions. Plus, it included a gift pack with some free T-shirts, movies and other swag. Pretty exciting! They promised celebrities at the receptions and well, say no more, if there are going to be celebrities, I'm there!

So the first VIP event was Thursday and it included a showing of Valkyrie as well as a reception afterwards. The movie was actually pretty good (even if we all know how it turns out) and one of the producers was there to answer questions and talk about the filming. It was pretty interesting. As far as "celebrities" go, there was Faizon Love, Karri Turner, and Leann Tweeden (who I'm shocked to learn is only 35 - sorry). No I did not know who they were, other than possibly having heard their names before. Then, at the end of the screening, the organizers announced that Stephen Baldwin was also there! Finally someone I'd recognize on sight. And, indeed, he was there. I saw him myself. Also possibly at the event was the notorious Scooter Libby. I might be wrong but I swear I heard someone being introduced as Scooter Libby and the picture on Wikipedia looks enough like him that I'm just going to go with it. I don't know if I've ever knowingly been in the room with a convicted felon before!

On Friday night, there was another reception and then the showing of Taking Chance, which debuted on HBO recently. It was really enjoyable and supposedly, Kevin Bacon and the movie's director and co-writer were supposed to be in attendance. Uh no. However, the real person who Kevin plays was there and told us his story and answered questions after the movie so that was pretty cool. As far as celebrities go, Stephen Baldwin was there again and so was Jeffrey Ross. Who we talked to!! My friend Elizabeth saw Jeffrey first and decided we should go talk to him and before I could say, "What will we say?" she was already there talking to him!

Here's how our conversation went:

Elizabeth: I was really rooting for you on Dancing with the Stars. It's too bad you got eliminated.

Jeffrey: Thanks! But you should watch on Tuesday! I'll be there to roast the finalists.

Me: Oh yeah, you're a great roastist!

Me: Wait, is that what it's called... someone who roasts?

Jeffrey: Hmm, I think it's "roastmaster?" But roastist... I like that!

Elizabeth: Good luck!

And that was about it. So if he uses the word "roastist" tonight, you can thank me. Because I'm sure a well-paid, professional comedian relies on random strangers to provide him with vocabulary. Anyway, it was exciting and he couldn't have been nicer. A side note: We didn't even try to talk to Stephen Baldwin. However, I should have offered my hand for him to shake. I shook Joan Rivers' hand a few months ago and she went on to win Celebrity Apprentice. He could use my special powers as he heads off to do I'm a Celebrity... Get me Out of Here.

Yes! We have power!!

We got this notice a few days ago that the power company would be turning off our power from 8pm tonight to 6am tomorrow. Which sucks, of course. Who wants to walk around in the dark with only candles and flashlights to get by? And not in the middle of prime time television! Supposedly this "planned" outage will prevent future "unplanned" outages so fine, I mean, I guess it's worth it. But, personally, I think it would make more sense to have it during the day.

Anyway, the kicker of the whole thing was that the letter actually said the planned power outage would be from "8pm on Thursday May 18 to 6am on Friday May 19". A quick look at a calendar will make it obvious that there is no Thursday May 18 this year. So do they mean this Thursday & Friday? Or do they mean the 18th and the 19th? Yeah, how nice of them to be so clear. A couple neighbors & I discussed it and one concluded that it must be the Thursday & Friday that is accurate since there was a makeup date of Thursday May 21st-Friday May 22nd. All right, it makes a certain amount of sense.

So I was out tonight and got back around midnight, fully expecting the power to be out. But nope! It did rain for awhile, so maybe that was problematic and would cause a postponement to the make-up date. Or maybe it will be out on the 18th. Who knows? All I know is that I am glad it's on tonight.

"It's Official: Disney Joins Hulu"

This is the best TV news I've heard in awhile! I was going to post about it a month or so ago when it was just a rumor but this is even better! I watch a lot of TV online and Hulu has, by far, the best platform for watching shows. I rarely have loading problems or picture problems when I'm watching Hulu and I cannot say the same for the ABC/Disney platform. Plus, the ability to queue videos, to set subscriptions so the newest episodes automatically queue, to embed videos or parts of videos (whatever parts you choose!) into your web site or share with others via email.... there are really a zillion things to love about Hulu and since I do watch a ton of ABC or ABC Family shows, it will just be great. The other small benefit here is that while all the platforms show short ads, with Hulu it automatically connects back to the program after the ad. The current Disney platform requires the user to "Click to Continue," which is kind of a pain in the butt. I just hope with all the added programming (and presumably users), there won't suddenly be viewing problems. (via)