Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Is it bad that all I could think of during half of Sweeney Todd was that Barbara Streisand sings "Not While I'm Around" on one of her CD's?

Seriously though, damn good movie. I mean it starts with three Potter actors Snape (Alan Rickman), Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter) and Wormtail (Timothy Spall) and then adds in Johnny Depp. You can't go wrong.

But you do need to be OK with blood, guts and crunching noises as bodies hit the floor underneath the trapdoor where they are then turned into meat pies to be consumed by patrons of the restaurant. Even if you are squeamish (like I am) go see this movie! Just remember to avert your eyes and plug yuor ears whenever anyone goes in for a haircut.

Pregnant Teens Are Awesome!

Or at least Juno, a movie about a pregnant teen, is. With lines like "That ain't no Etch-A-Sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, Homeskillet", "I mean I'm already pregnant so what other kind of shenanigans can I get into?" and "He's the cheese to my macaroni", it was well worth going to the movies alone. Juno is part Napoleon Dynamite, part Veronica Mars with a dash of Gilmore Girls' pop culture references just for fun. Damn near perfect!

Once Will Not Be Enough

I've never been a huge fan of Keri Russel. I'll admit that I didn't watch Felicity longer than the first few episodes. But after August Rush, I'm a believer. Keri Russel is stunningly beautiful and a brilliant actress.

She plays a starcrossed lover who has a one night stand with Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Joe from Bend It Like Beckham) and gets pregnant only to never see him again. Add in Freddie Highmore (Willy Wonka's protege fron the Depp version) as a musical genius who is searching for his parents and you have a heart-wrenching movie with an amazing soundtrack.

I sat in the theater as the credits rolled to pull myself together and to talk myself out of sitting there and watching it all over again.

Southern Exposure pt. 1

I've been contemplating retiring from Smuudged Pot for a while now. I finally decided that November would be my last month at the shop. And then the PR Specialist at work pitched a story about me working at Smudged Pot to Wilmington Magazine for their Southern Exposure section — a full-page story and photo about "people you chould know" in the area. And the editor went for it. Now I can't quit. I mean how would it look for a marketing and PR professional to ruin a story before it even gets printed. So much for making plans.

For Those About To Rock

Halloween is my favorite Holiday. It was around that holiday that Mark and I started dating. For eight Halloweens we've carved jack-o-lanterns and dressed up together. For the past three, we've had kick-ass costumes. A trend that I hope continues.

This year we rocked as Axl and Slash from Guns N Roses. Shawn gave me a cigarette (which I did not smoke but kept in my mouth the whole night) and made me a Jack Daniels label for my Vitamin Water bottle so that I was an authentic Slash. Mark wore cutoffs, a blonde wig and Axl's trademark bandana. If we had entered any costume contests we would have won again. I am sure of it.

Enough Description. Here Are Some Visuals.

Home Sweet Home

Living Room

Kitchen

Pool Table Fiasco pt. 1

Even before we moved Mark has called the FROG the "Pool Room". The plan was to buy a pool table once we could afford it. But plans change. Our good friend Jeff just so happened to have a pool table in pieces in a closet because it didn't fit in his apartment. So he sold it to us for $1.00.

But there was a catch. The slate was chipped so we would have to replace. No big deal, right?

Wrong. The slate that Mark bought does not fit the table. The holes are not in the right place to screw into the rails. And no one — not Mark or the guy he bought it from who owns a billiards store — can seem to make it work. So for now we have a really nice pool table in pieces on the floor with no set up date in sight.

Is Anyone Else In Love WIth The Pie Maker?

I was a little wary of Pushing Daisies after all of the media hype. This usually doesn't bode well for shows. But this whimsical little show has heart. And humor. And a quirkiness that has the potential to land a coveted spot near the top of my must-see list.
The shy pie maker Ned, his playful alive-then dead-then live again childhood girlfriend Chuck, his afflicted dog Digby that he can only touch with a wooden hand, and voice overs by none other than Harry Potter's narratoe Jim Dale — what more could a girl ask for?

A New Hope Revisited

I've hit the one year mark and I an still as excited about working at Talk as I was a year ago. With my one year anniversary came a promotion to Account Executive and a raise. Who knew that it is much easier to do a good job when you enjoy what you're doing?

Not For Another Ten Years

The move is finally upon us and luckily we have cool parents who are coming in our time of need. Dad and Susan came on Monday to help pack, clean and physically move us into the new house. I took the week off of work so that I could spend time with them and get things in order. We had most things packed and organized so that unpacking would be easy.

Each box was labeled with the cointents and in which room it would go in the new house so that whoever carried it inside would know where to put it. The system was almost fool proof. The closing however wasn't.

A few headaches, like the water being turned off a day early and having to go down to the county office and complain and trying to work out how to close on Morley and have the money transfered from one lawyer to the other so that we had the downpayment on Sweet Bay, made it all a little stressful, but we survived.

Now were in and quickly unpacking because Mark's family is coming and we need to have furtniture put together so they have beds to sleep in and locate towels so that they can bathe. Too bad it can't all put itself away. Tonks knew how to do that.

Dirty Mind

License Plate at the house across the street:
HRLY GRL

I read it as Hourly Girl. Then I saw the Harley-Davidson sticker on the window.
I liked it better my way.

Leave This City pt. 2

Today was Allison's last day. I closed my door and cried after she left — there was nothing I could do to stop it. We've shared an office the entire time I've been at Talk and now she's leaving. I'm thrilled for her because I know she needs to do this, but I'm sad for me because I feel like I'm losing a friend.

I know we'll keep in touch, but I won't have her here every day with her desk next to mine. Just a half chair turn away. She won't be there to ignore work for a few minutes with and gossip or to try to figure out what word I need to use by using her as a sounding board.

I'm sure most people would hate sharing an office, but having Allison as an office mate is one of the things I love most about my job. And I'm going to miss her like crazy. In her honor, I promise to refer to her desk always as Allison's desk no matter who takes it over. Kinda like Ashley's office. Some things never change.

Karen's B-Day CD 2008

As I do every year, I made my sister a CD for her birthday. I usually try to intorduce her ot new music I think she will like as well as throw in some favorites from our childhood and teen years. I struggled with this one because I didn't have any music to put on it. So I began scrambling and just looking up songs from TV and movies and I ended up with one that is pretty damn good. See for yourself:

Fences-Paramore
Crucify-Tori Amos
The World Spins Madly On-Weepies
Good to Me-Inara George
Sway-The Perishers
Beautiful-Adrienne Pierce
Superhuman-Cinder Road
In the Mean Time-Spacehog
Le Disco-Shiny Toy Guns
Six Feet Under-Neve
Monster-Meg & Dia
Shadow of the Day-Linkin Park
Redwing-Hem
Cold Hands Warm Heart-Brenden Benson
Back To Life-Soul II Soul
Unsingable Name-Mike Daughty
Thanks for the Memories-Fall Out Boy
Seven-Prince
Sweet Sacrifice-Evanescence

The Final Installment

Scene: 12:08 a.m. Harris Teeter in Ogden.

Mark and I were fourth in line to get Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have the time-stamped receipt to prove it.

The Breakup

Dear CW,
For the past 9 months, I thought we had a good thing going. I know it started out a little shaky when you chose that crappy family drama (which you had previously rejected) over Everwood, but I forgave you. Then you allowed Lorelai to marry Christopher. That indescretion was a little harder to get over, but eventually I did.

I stood by you when others pointed at you and laughed. I defended you when people called you a wannabe network and when they made fun of your name. I was faithful to you, never straying from our weekly dates on Tuesday nights, which were the best of the week for me. And I thought you were happy with our little lineup of kick-ass girls who were smarter and funnier than the rest of the nights combined. We had a good thing going. So why did you have to go and ruin it?

Last night was the final straw. After what you did to Veronica I don't think we can see each other any more. Please don't look for me next season. Not even the lure of Kristen Bell as the voiced-but-never-seen Gossip Girl can make me forgive you this time.

Sincerely,
Susan

I Guess This Is Goodbye

So last week I posted about Gilmore Girls and how I was losing my two best friends. Well, tonight was the last Veronica Mars and I am devestated. Mark's solution was to give me a few too many drinks to hopefully take the edge off my misery, but it really only added to it.

If I adored my Gilmore Girls, I LoVed my Veronica. (if you've seen Logan and Veronica in action you get the special capitalization)

I didn't cry as much tonight as I did last week, but that's because the episode wasn't set up as a series finale, but a season finale. There were no tearful goodbyes or couples who were meant to be together finally getting together. It was just another day in the life of Veronica. And it was great. Tonight showed why I love all the characters as much as I do. It made me laugh. It made me cry. And it made made want more.

I don't know what my Tuesdays will be like from now on, but I can guarantee they will not be as funny, or as looked-forward-to.

Veronica, you were one-of-a-kind. And I will not forget you. Thanks for three great seasons.

1011 Sweet Bay Circle

Somehow our house is the first in the development to be worked on. We've been checking every few weeks on the progress and when we went down on Wednesday, we had a house!

We weren't expecting it, but there it was framed and standing in the middle of lot 12, well actually closer to the back of the lot but what we won't get into that. So we walked around inside looking at what will be our new home in a few months.

And then the reality of the situation hit. We have to finish working on our current house. We have to have a yard sale. We have to put more stuff in storage. We have to get our house on the market. We have to sell our house with a good dozen or so in the neighborhood already on the market.

Hello, stress.

The End of an Era

The Gilmore Girls are gone. Tonight I feel like I had to say goodbye to my best friends. For 5 years now, I have been glued to my television on Tuesday nights enthralled by their wit. I have laughed with them and at them, cried with them and for them. There have been times when I didn't agree with their decisions, but I stood by them because I love them.

I have spent more time with them than most of my family and friends and it is becoming extremely hard to let go. I spent the better part of an hour crying (hard enough that I was having trouble breathing at times) during their final hurrah tonight. The last half hour I cried straight through the commercials.

I know most of you will think I'm crazy for being so attached to fictional characters. But I am a writer. As Visha likes to say "I live in a world of lies." Lorelai and Rory may not be real, but to me they were treasured friends who will be missed dearly.

These girls went out in style. They came full circle, sitting in the diner talking a mile-a-minute as Luke worked around them. The camera panned back and the conversation faded leaving our girls in the middle of their lives without me.

A Little Ego Boost

In my job, I get to write quite a bit. Most of my accounts are healthcare-based and I write their articles for the Guide to Health & Medicine in our local paper. In the past, I have had an account supervisor who edits my work. Now, as we are in a major transition period in regards to staff, my boss (Founder, President, CEO) is my direct supervisor. No pressure, right?

So, I wrote an article forour arthritis client, and sent to Debbie for edits. This was the e-mailed response from her:
"You make me proud. I made one or two edits. Great job. Brava."

Does work get any better than this?

Leave This City

Ashleypalooza. That's what we're calling it. There could be no other way to describe the week-long celebration of all things Ashley. We've known for a few months that this day was coming, but we all secretely hoped that she would change her mind. Unfortunately, that doesn't look to be the case.

Her office is cleaned out, her bags are packed. She really is leaving us.

I've only known her six months and I don't feel as if that were enough time. I recently told Debbie that I want to be Ashley when I grow up and I meant it. If I could be even a fraction of the smart, witty, creative girl that Ashley is, I would be very happy with who I am.

I hate that she's leaving because I'll miss her. But I hate more that I don't get to learn from her. Even though she's only two years older than me, I see her a role model. Someone I can aspire to be. And the fact that she has already achieved this level at 28 is inspiring. And amazing.

I'm going ot miss talking Potter with her and sharing the latest juicy romance novel scenes we've both read. I'm going to miss her sitting on the credenza in Allison's and my office. I'm going to miss her laugh and her easy way of teaching. But most of all I'm going to miss all the good times I know we would have had. Have fun in Georgia, Ash. And know that you will be missed every day.

An Assistant No More

I got promoted today to Jr. Account Executive. And I can't tell you how nice it is to work hard, do a good job and get recognized for it. After three years of being dumped on, I finally have a job I LOVE and that I am actually very good at. Here's hoping that I can keep up the momentum and go the Creative route. Maybe one day I can be the next Ashley Harp!

The Munchkin Likes the Beach

I think Caroline takes after her Grammy and Aunt Susie, not her mom. As bored as Karen gets with the beach, it is a wonder that C loves it so much. She didn't care that the water was freezing or that she had sand in places that a person should never have sand. She LOVED it. She also loved taking a running start and leaping on her favorite aunt, knees first, over, and over, and over. I've never been that worn out and beat up in my life. But its hard to be annoyed when she is this adorable.

Shamrock Shindig

Tonight I'm going to make drinks at the Shamrock Shindig - a fundraising dance party orchestrated by two wonderful teenagers whom I know from Smudged Pot. Christina and Lara were both adopted when they were very young, and their parents and older sister, Erica, run an adoption agency that helps children in other countries get placed with families in the US. I've known these girls for a few years and I am so impressed that at 13- and 14-years old, they've put together this whole initiative to raise money to send to children in orphanages. At more than 10 years older than them, I'm still not that active in helping others. The most I do is give my leftovers to the homeless every week after trivia. These girls rock. And I am incredibly proud to know them. Knowing that there are families like the Bergerons out there, makes me want to be a much better person. And hopefully by knowing them, some of their amazingness will rub off on me.

And the hits just keep on coming, but with possible reprieve...

So trivia this week back at Copper Penny wasn't very exciting. It was good, and it wasn't Vince running things, but it just wasn't the same. Afterwards we trekked over to Orton's for karaoke where Krysti and Anthony proceeded to berate Rich (the owner) for taking away our trivia. And low and behold, there came a light at the end of the tunnel. Rich said he will run trivia for us again next week, back at our bar, and if we can bring in a decent amount of people, he will start it up again. So I am going to try and use some connections I have and get the word out there. Maybe, just maybe Wednesday nights can be saved.

Now I just have to work on my Tuesdays. Word on the street is that a season 4 of Veronica Mars is not looking hopeful. Did you hear that? It was the sound of me hysterically crying. (And I'm not kidding. If Veronica doesn't come back I may just lock myself in the house watching the first 3 seasons on DVD for a solid week.) There is still a chance it will come back, albeit not the same as it is, but back nonetheless. So I will join in the email and letter writing campaign to try and save my favorite show. If you want to help my cause just go to: www.saveveronicamars.tv

Wednesday nights are...Oh, you know the rest

So after a depressing Veronica-less Tuesday night, I went faithfully to my Wednesday night trivia at Orton's only to find out that they are quitting. Trivia is no more. Kaput. Finite!

WTF?

They said they were losing money. That we weren't bringing in enough people to make it worthwhile. Since when is it the customers' job to do the marketing? (I'm in marketing, I should know how the whole thing works, and usually that's the company's job). So as a fitting farewell to the bar that unceremoniously dumped us, our team name was "That's okay, we like Copper Penny Better Anyway"

Tuesday nights are a little less exciting...

Starting last night, and for the next seven (yes, count them 7) weeks, my Veronica Mars timeslot will be usurped by those (expletive deleted for the more conservative readers) Pussycat Dolls. Who would rather watch strippers compete for a chance to be the next pussycat over the classy and witty Kristen Bell? Personally, I don't get it. So my Gilmore Girls will be followed by House in real time (as opposed to DVRing it and watching it later). While House is great, I miss my Veronica. And Logan. And Wallace. And Mac. And Weevil. And...

New living room furniture to go with a new house...

Our couch has been slowly deteriorating: first fading from sage green to drab brown from the sun, and second having the back cushions detach from the back of the couch so the stuffing can be pulled out like Scarecrow's straw. It's a sad state of affairs in our living room. And the futon, while a great piece of extra seating, doesn't exactly say "grown up" house. So since we're upgrading houses, we decided to upgrade furniture too. This is the couch and loveseat we are getting. The couch is a sleeper so those of you who have had the pleasure of staying with us, but were relegated to the couch or futon, will soon have a nice (hopefully comfy) semi-bed to sleep in. We hope y'all will enjoy it as much as we will.

Lot 12

So today we wrote up a contract to buy lot 12 in The Willows! After going to the model home with Dad and Susan and learning they were taking contracts, Mark and I decided to move on the house quickly. We were deciding between two lots (19 and 12) and after driving to Leland and walking around the site, we realized that lot 19 was backed up to Hwy. 17. Not really what we were looking for in a new back yard.

So lot 12 it is.

We picked out all of the colors in the house (flooring, cabinets, vinyl siding, carpet, paint, etc) and we should be able to move in in September. It will be a light gray house with slate teal (like slate blue but more teal) shutters and doors. The kitchen cabinets and counter will look very similar to this picture (that is the exact counter top style we are getting - Himalaya Slate). Mark wanted this gorgeous black granite look but luckily I convinced him to go a little lighter so the kitchen didn't look like a "black hole" (his words, not mine). We'll keep this updated with pictures once construction starts.

We're thinking of moving...

Not out of Wilmington of course. Well, technically I guess it is out of Wilmington and into Leland (or LA as it is called around here for the Leland Area) which is just across the river from downtown Wilmington. But mainly we want a new house. One with a bigger, usable kitchen, a garage (large enough for 2 cars or Mark's power tools), a little more space (600 sq. feet more than we have now with the house we are looking at), a screened-in porch, and a FROG.

The house we want and will hopefully get once they begin accepting contacts on is in a new subdivision that is being built called The Willows (www.thewillowsnc.com). We want the Oleander II style. We better get it because between the two of us, we've already planned out where everything will go in the house (pictures included) and it'll be a huge let down if we don't get it.

So we've begun the process of readying our current house for the market. The colorful walls are no more in the main rooms and in their place are drab sand colored walls which make the off-white trim look dirty. So we're having to paint all the trim and doors too. But hopefully it'll make it easier to sell. We can live with drab if we know a new house is in the works!

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

The final Harry Potter installment will come out this summer. July 21st to be exact. I have mixed feelings about the end, as most fans do. I can't wait to find out what happens in The Deathly Hallows, but I don't want it to end. It is such a all-consuming story that it doesn't seem right that it won't continue after July. But as long as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny are all still alive at the end, I can live with knowing no more books will follow.