What I've been watching....

File this under, since this blog is supposed to be about tv-

90210-

Okay, I don't know what to do with this show. There have been slight improvments in the last few episodes. The meltdown of Silver was a good episode- directed by Jason Priestly. Of course, I love the return of Donna. (watching the old timers still remains my favorite part of this show) It's been all over the gossip sites that Ethan (Dustin Milligan) won't be returning next season. I'm bummed about Ethan, because I think he was just starting to figure out the character's direction. The new character of Liam in interested and I'm enjoying the steam. Annie is definitely the most annoying character on all of television, and I know that I'm not alone with that feeling.

Party Down-on Starz

I had recommended this show a few posts back, before I had ever seen it. It was the new brain child of Rob Thomas, of the fabulous Veronica Mars. This show is funny. Some episodes have been better than others- and the part I love best is every episode has another fabulous Veronica alum in it. (Veronica herself, Kristen Bell, is set to be in the finale.) My one warning is that the show is at times raunchy- which if you know me pretty well, you know really isn't me. Everyone is someone on this show- and even when I looked up the one person I didn't know on imdb.com, it turns out that she played the goth friend Janis in the fabulous "Mean Girls". (I never would have recognized her.)

Head Case- This airs directly before "Party Down".
I've tried to get into this- It is funny, but I'm not sure I'm in it for the long haul. It stars Ali (or Alexandra) Wentworth as a therapist to all of Hollywood. (You know Ali from her brief talk show, or who Friday guest spots on Oprah, or as Jerry's girlfriend in the Soup Nazi episode, or as Mrs. George Stephanopoulos) The show is totally improvised, and it has really hollywood stars as her clients. Worth an episode if you are interested.


30 Rock- if you aren't watching this show...I just don't know what to tell ya. Freaking hysterical! The best part for all Andoverites is that our very own Todd Buonopane (AHS class of 96) is becoming a pretty regular character- He's been on about four episodes.

Amazing Race- I've loved this show for years, and have converted many friends over to it. (Including my dad, who's a very big Survivor fan. I convinced him that the Amazing Race is way more interesting and exciting than watching people whining about being hungry on a beach!)
I've made a little list for myself of all the things I have to do before I was able to go on this race:
1. Get Lasik- I've seen others survive who wear glasses and contacts, but if I'm sleeping on sidewalks in India, I don't want to have to worry about my contacts or carrying only 3 oz. of solution on the planes.
2. Make sure I have a really good bikini wax-one of the detours this year was to run a road race in your underwear in Siberia. You need to be prepared....
3. Maybe get over my fear of heights:)
4. Get in really good shape, because there will be all sorts of climbing and running

I'll let you all know how this works out.

Table for Twelve- Gretchen asked awhile back whether I would be watching this show. I had watched it previously when it was uncleverly called, "Twins, Twins, and Sextuplets". I like this family- they seem very normal- much more normal than the Gosselins (who I think may be on their way out of reality tv). I'm sure I will tune in at some point. I wish great success to the Hayes family- I'l like to see them score some of the dough that the Gosselins have raked in.

Anyone have a favorite show that they can never miss?

The side effects of eating healthy...

So, I've been "on the wagon" recently. Two years ago I tried a diet per say through my gym. It was a modified version of the diet from Anne Louise Gittleman, based on her book, "The Fat Flush Plan". It's a six week program that like others modifies the carbs that you intake and encourages the eating of almost more food than you would in a typical day. You eat protein every two to three hours, which is tricky to fit in to my typical school day. (since my lunch is at 11 a.m.) The first time that I did the plan I lost about 10 pounds total. It eventually creeped back on, and then some. All of my school friends are doing their own version of being healthy, so it seemed like a good time to get back on board (since clothes really haven't been fitting and I was starting to bend and buy new clothes in bigger sizes). Before Easter, I had probably lost about 8 pounds. Being on vacation, and out of my routine and having more access to other kinds of food, has been tricky. I'm still probably down five or six lbs.

Eating healthy has some side effects:
1. Lots of trips to the supermarket- and sometimes multiple supermarkets. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Market Basket, Stop and Shop....they all have something I need.

2. Lots of recycling/trash- I have no recycling at my condo complex (which annoys me greatly because I've always been really good about recycling). I have to make lots of trips to my parents, and I inevitably always miss their recycling day, and they get mad at me:) I really wish I had a yard so that I could have a compost pile for all of my lemon rinds and egg shells.

3. Sleeping better- I have some issues with sleep, and more specifically insomnia. I've noticed that I'm sleeping a lot better, so maybe less junk in my system is helping.

4. Cranberry juice stains everywhere- A big crux of this plan is drinking unsweetened cranberry juice. (not easy to find, and not cheap) I drink 4 oz. of cranberry juice combined with 28 oz. of water. This stuff is really key. This is the magic that takes of your water weight, and you'll see weight fall off pretty fast, right away. (Like a pound a day at first) I try to drink two of them a day! Yes, I'm always running to the bathroom- which in my profession isn't always easy.

5. Eating of strange(r) foods- I loooooovvvvveeee buffalo. I love all red meat, and this is great because it's so not bad for you! No sugar or artificial sweeteners for me- Have you heard of stevia? It's a natural plant sweetener and it does the job. How about Live grain bread? Yum....

6. Lots of dishwasher running, and tupperware drying- for the first time, remarkable really, I haven't left multiple containers at school. Maybe the flaxseed oil is helping my memory.

7. I'm a hard boiled egg cooking and peeling pro! The key friends is to peel them when they are still warm, not too hot or they burn your fingers.

Being healthy isn't cheap and requires tons of prep work, but it's feeling all worth it!

A Sad Goodbye

Goodbye E.R., you've been a very good friend.

I remember vividly lying on the floor of my basement in 1994 enthralled by this show. I was a senior in high school, and taking Human Anatomy at the time. I loved all the scientific talk and was excited when I recognized the name of anything. Now, I knew that I wasn't going to be going to med school, but there was something very endearing about this show. You really found yourself rooting for the characters.


For the last several summers, I've been tuning in to TNT's "Primetime in the Daytime" airings of the old ERs. Two episodes a day, and 14 ish seasons made for lots of great repeats. I would always anxiously await certain episodes- like the Valentine's one with Carter and Lucy, of which I accidently spilled the beans to Mommy, Esq.

The episode brought us back so many old friends; Susan Lewis, Kerry Weaver, Reese Benton (so great to see the child actor grown up), and all the great nurses. In some previous episodes we had already seen Dr. Benton, Elizabeth Corday, and of course Carol Hathaway and Doug Ross. (Their return episode, "Old Times" was excellent.) Someone I didn't care to see- Kem. Referred to in this episode as Carter's wife, although I don't believe that we ever knew they had officially married. The episode saw the celebration of the Joshua Carter center, which was named for their baby. (I am determined not to spoil too much more for KJ.) Kem was sour, and I don't know why they ever stayed together these almost six long years if they weren't going to be able to move forward.

I recognized Rachel Greene right away ( I always thought it was funny that there were two Rachel Greens on NBC at the same time.) What a great way to end the series, with the return of Mark Green's former wild child to be a new med student. And I loved Carter at the end, "Coming Dr. Greene"

I will continue to watch and tape my repeats- I will continue to be wowed by the number of great, now well-known actors, who appeared who in those early episodes.

Goodbye E.R., you've been a very good friend.