Friends forever

Haaaaave I mentioned I'm watching Project Runway? (Yes, yes I have.)

It's a nice distraction in the midst of ::gestures wildly:: But I guffawed recently when one of the designers -- who I happen to like quite a bit -- walked into the workroom humming a song from Saved by the Bell.

It's catchy, isn't it? You can't go wrong with Zack Attack.

(Also -- if you're looking for a wonderful novel depiction of the rockumentary, I can't say enough good things about Daisy Jones & The Six. Super refreshing read.)

Greek

You may have never heard of the TV show Greek (or maybe you love it!) but I was so happy to rediscover it last night on Hulu. I used to love it, but for some reason never watched the last season. I'm doing that now, and it made me laugh out loud. Which was such a wonderful thing.

Lost in time

Remember how I told you I was thinking of Billy Pilgrim coming unstuck in time? I am apparently not the only one who is having a hard time with when we are.

As such, I was very amused to learn I am not the only one who needs help with when it is. (Watch the clip! Then go to the thread and watch the next one! Day Two is even better than Day One.) Thank you, TV news, for that assistance.

I don't know that they're representing Cleveland well, but they are representing Cleveland. And it gives me a fabulous excuse to link back to this, from the same station, about a neighborhood bear sighting.

It never doesn't make me laugh. Thanks, TV news, for some levity (at least mostly intended).

Spellbound

I've been to the Scripps National Spelling Bee eight times, and I somehow had not seen the documentary Spellbound until tonight.

If you, too, haven't seen it, it's available on Tubi for free and documents the path of eight students to the 1999 Bee. It's, uh, more casually racist in the beginning than I would have expected. But then it's a delight. And knowing that I'm not going to the Bee next month (like many other things, it's not happening as originally scheduled, if at all) it was really spectacular to see it in action 21 years ago. The film cameras! The hair! The clothing choices!

There were a few things in particular that delighted me, having been a part of the program for the better part of a decade:

• The calming tones of Mary Brooks, the head judge, and glimpses of other judges.
• Dr. Bailly, then the associate pronouncer and now the head pronouncer, asking "What's a Corolla?" in response to a speller's question. (This is totally in character.)
• The eventual 2000 winner, George Thampy, as an 11-year-old who went by "Georgie." He's also a judge now.
• Seeing the childhood bedroom and rivals of Nupur Lala, the winner, who I became friendly with after meeting her as an adult.
• The amazing, incredible, brilliant kids trying so hard and with such verve.
• The words! Zwieback was in an alphabet book I made in fourth grade; I swear I heard xeropthalmia (which also has a fourth grade reference for me); and of course kookaburra, he of the old gum tree.

(Dr. Bailly more recently, gettin' jiggy with it.)

This was not my favorite day of the quarantine, so those smiles were more appreciated than they would even have been on other days.

I've also been listening to Fountains of Wayne after learning that Adam Schlesinger died today. You probably know Stacy's Mom, but there's so much more that he did -- including writing That Thing You Do! and many of the songs from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. It's a loss and I'm bummed about it, but glad that I'm able to listen to his music and that a little bit of him can live on.

Runway

I've been watching episode after episode of Project Runway, which is an excellent distraction from, you know, the world.

Tonight I finished season nine (and no, I did not start from the beginning). But I paused it midway through the finale to Google the woman who eventually became the winner, Anya Ayoung-Chee, because of an off-hand comment one of her brothers made during the family-visit-check-in.

He mentioned that people used to tell him how beautiful his sister is, but now they comment on her talent, too. I thought it was strange. She is pretty. But would people really stop you to tell you that your sister is gorgeous, they same way they would if she was a talented designer on a TV show?

Turns out the answer is probably yes if your sister is Miss Trinidad and Tobago and a contestant in the Miss Universe pageant. So.

It made the earlier comments from some of the (jealous) designers make more sense, too. But I was super impressed by her and amused to know more about her background. Plus, it looks like she's still designing clothes! The season eight winner is now a consultant. Bleh.

Sing Street

Luckily, my friends have better memories than I do. Because one texted me tonight to tell me that a movie she'd told me about before was finally streaming and I should drop everything and watch it. (OK, she didn't quite say that, but it was definitely implied.)

The movie was Sing Street; it's Irish and about a boy who forms a band to impress a girl he thinks is cute and it made me smile so big. It takes place in the '80s and the characters try on all these '80s music personas, which is adorable. And the songs are good! Which is great.

Anyway, if you have some free time (and perhaps you do, what with not leaving the house), it's worth a watch.

I'm so good at yoga

(This is actually veryyyyyy far from the truth.)

But the most exciting thing to happen today is that a friend who teaches yoga decided she was going to livestream classes. The timing worked today for me to hop on. And it was so nice -- it was nice to do it, but also nice to feel encouraged by a friend! I've never taken her classes before IRL, but she was great.

And then we started an email exchange when I thanked her for doing it. And it's been a long while since I've seen her, so that's great, too.

Other positive things today: what's become a weekly dinner date with some friends. A walk outside for the first time in forever. Grey skies and crisp air. A Crazy Ex-Girlfriend meme. Cooking real food (of a sort) for the who-knows-what-time in a row. Peanut butter M&Ms. (They're sure to make a repeat appearance.) Various forms of contact with various people.

And it was yesterday, but I made a super tasty martini (or two) with some hazelnut espresso vodka I brought back from Portland last year. Yum.

Spellebrations

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist has been making me smile for a few weeks now. But it gets a bonus post today because of a plot point that involves not one but TWO characters being past winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

You already know how much I love the bee. So you know I was amused.

Shuffle

Sometimes, it's the smallest, silliest things.

The weather was pleasant this morning, in the high 50s with sun and clouds. And I had my iPod on on the way to work when Elmo's Song followed Annie Lennox. Do you know Elmo's Song? It's sweet and catchy and fun. It's Sesame Street. It just makes you smile. Well, it makes me smile.

That's enough, in and of itself. But then? The coup de grace? A few songs later, what came up but the theme song to Transformers!

As my college roommate (hi!) can tell you, the Transformers theme song is the one that always managed to play (somehow, the randomizer on my music-playing program really, really liked the Transformers) and always managed to play at the most inappropriate times. So it took everything I had not to burst out laughing and/or sing along. (I was on public transportation at the time.)

The book I just finished referenced Optimus Prime toward the end. I wonder if through some kind of music-shuffle-magic the iPod knew and thought, finally, that it was an appropriate time for Transformers.

F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C

As those of you who know me know, I'm a gigantic fan of spelling bees. Gigantic. Like, I host a spelling bee viewing party every year. They are so much fun. (Don't believe me? Watch this, one of my favorite-ever spelling bee moments.)

So when my sister texted me to ask if I had any questions for the director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, I said yes. (Actually, I said, "OMG probably," but is now really the time to split hairs?)

Moments later, my phone rang. Soon, I was on speaker phone, talking to Paige Kimble.

The first thing I asked her? Her favorite word, of course. And if she could spell it.

For the record, it's Ouaniche, and she can. It's a kind of salmon. She always wanted to get it in a spelling bee, but never did.

We talked a little bit longer about why the bee's on ESPN instead of ABC (I shouldn't hold out hope of it going back on network TV), what she likes about the bee (keeping an old-fashioned skill and experience relevant to the modern world) and how the bee is becoming more popular internationally, and at viewing parties like mine. Before I let her go, she asked me what organization I was with, telling me I sounded very professional. (As a question-asker, I should hope so -- that's what I get paid to do!)

And then I squeed a little to my sister, who pretty much knew this would make my day.

Thanks, darling. And thanks, Paige, for keeping spelling bees alive.

Breathe out

It's been a rough week, but I wrote a story about the future of video stores today that I'm really excited about, and proud of.

Y'all should read it.

At the movies

Last week, the Cleveland International Film Festival came to town. It was a pretty intense affair with some fantastic movies that I saw and many I did not.

I got to go to the opening film and a series of shorts, in addition to a normal evening movie after work. And although it wasn't the best movie that I saw, the best part of the festival was the chance to go see an hour-long film at lunchtime. There's just something wonderful about going to a midday movie that makes you feel like you're playing hooky in a wonderful sort of way.

Next year, you should follow suit.

Snowman

He was on a main stretch of road and had a red scarf, carrot nose and stick arms. But the best part? Resting in his stick arm -- on his snow hip -- was a bottle of Coca-Cola.

If that's not a Coke commercial in the making (or is it one already?), I don't know what is.

Three things

I totally love Where the Wild Things Are, which I've seen twice. It's definitely not for everybody, but the emotion of it really made me smile, even when the story was sad.

I had a delicious egg salad sandwich at a downtown restaurant today. The secret ingredient? Truffle oil. Yeah, I think that'll make anything taste good.

Yesterday's mail included a long-expected postcard from a dear friend. I'd been anticipating a letter, but this was above what I thought would come -- a postcard with our faces on it, taken from the summer's golf carting adventure. It was unexpected and sweet.

It's alarming how charming I feel

One of my (male) coworkers said to my (male) boss this morning, "Wow, you look nice today!"

My boss replied by saying -- then singing -- "I feel pretty." (It doesn't start til the 50-second mark.)

I tried not to guffaw.

What's up, Doc?

Last week, I went to Blossom to see a performance of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies music, complete with cartoons. This was super-adorable and fun.

But the thing thing that made me really grin? At the end of the show, instead of tossing flowers on the stage, someone brought a bunch of carrots to the conductor.

Bugs Bunny, indeed.

On a completely unrelated note, I have a dead computer. So I will once again be sporadic, at least until a new one is acquired. Anyone have suggestions for awesome new or horribly awful computers?

The future is the past

I saw a woman hula-hooping on the sidewalk today. She was really good -- it was going up and down her torso to her neck, over a shoulder, on an arm. I was impressed. Much better than me -- either IRL or on a Wii.


And then, a limo that had doors that opened up, like a DeLorean. I wanted to stop and stare, but the light was green.

Busting makes me feel good

As if Ghost Busters on the big screen wasn't enough... the half-dozen guys (and a girl) who sat in front of us totally came in costume.

And one even had a light-up pack!

Wilbur

I went to the fair today (technically, yesterday) and had a fantastic time walking the Midway, riding a Ferris wheel and getting my fair-food fix -- lemonade, french fries, fried cheese, fried pickles and, of course, an elephant ear.

But it was the animals at the fair that particularly made me smile. To be precise, it was the piglets.

Let me back up and tell you that we saw the horses and cows, sheep and rabbits, guinea pigs and chicken. We pet quite a few goats (and one of them nibbled at my purse). We oohed and ahhed at llamas and alpacas (which looked exactly like walking stuffed animals) and giggled at turkeys and ducks.

But in the back of one of the barns were two sows, each with a number of piglets -- maybe 10 for one and six for another. They were pink and soft and tiny with big eyes. Both sows were sleeping; one was surrounded by sleeping piglets (and the poor piglet that found itself under her neck when she went to roll over! -- my, what a squeal) while the other had piglets clambering all over her in search of food.

Nursing piglets are way too cute.

The nursing piglets had a definite runt of the litter, a pig that was half the size of the others. It made me think of Wilbur, which wasn't much of a leap since county fairs already conjure up Charlotte's Web images.

A fair is a veritable smorgasbord, orgasbord, orgasbord...

Pineapples

I had a late meeting today and ended up walking back to my car from a direction I don't usually come from. As I headed past a gated parking lot, I noticed that the fence posts were topped with pineapples.

Psych always has pineapples, too.

Often, it's the little things.