www.FierceAndNerdy.com

'Tis official, Bloggin' on the etc is now Fierce and Nerdy.

I hope you like and enjoy the new site, as it's much more clever.

To go to the new blog click here. See you there!

Gummi Gummi Yummi Yummi

Okay, if you've been following my updates on Facebook, you probably know that I've completely let my sweet tooth out of its cage, and I have been indulging it like crazy lately.

It did not help that we visited Cybele from Candyblog and her husband on Sunday, and were treated to like the hugest gummi bear ever. I can't even describe it, but lucky for you, she did with pictures in her review. Read about it here. You'll want to click through for the picture of the decapitated gummi bear alone.

But in my opin, the real gummi winner of the night were these little Haribo pineapple gummis, that I pretty much polished off all by myself. Cybele did you do a review of these, too? If so could you post the link in the comments?

Anyway, all the gummi goodness was followed up with gummi worms from Vons on Monday. And tonight the hubby bought home more Haribo gummi things from Cost Plus World Market.

If you don't have a Cost Plus World Market near where you live, I feel sorry for you. You know there are starving children in developing nations who will have suffer to efffects of extreme poverty for the rest of their lives. And I feel worse for you. Because these Haribo Tropifruttis are em-effin bomb, though CH preferred the sugar-coated Haribo Fruit Salad -- which I liked as well. Not as much as the Tropifruttis, but still I doubt that either bag will survive the night.

Anyway, this is all to say, check out Cybele's Candyblog. Really, you'll love the picture (if you're a little sick like me). Also I will probably weigh 20 more pounds than the last time you saw me if I don't get back on the wagon soon.

Oh, and 3 more days to Fierce And Nerdy. 3...

TV's Back In School PT. 2 - Bones and 90210

So I have mixed feelings about watching the 3rd season of Bones. On one hand it's not bad, but on the other it's not necessarily good. For instance, I played 3 games of Word Twist (my latest Facebook App Obsession) and started this blog during the season premiere without missing a beat. Also, I have a terrible track record of falling asleep about 15 minutes into episodes of this program when I don't have the web to distract me. In other words, it's no House.

But at least it's improving from season to season. I'd say that this series started out fairly mediocre, and now it's a little more than mediocre. So, progress. However, I'd trade it in for another season of Angel any day of the week.

Oh, and if you're a Torchwood fan, one of the chycks from the original team is in the season premiere which is set in London.

BT-dubs, I also tried to watch the new 90210 the other day, and it was pretty bad. Sooooo boring. Like even more boring than the season premiere of Gossip Girl, which I didn't even think was possible. Also, I just felt sorry for Tristan Wilds (aka The Adopted Black Kid), as I can't imagine going from meaty Wire scripts to this useless drivel -- not that I have anything against useless drivel (I mean I do watch America's Next Top Model). But if you're going to be useless, don't also be boring, that's just a waste of time.

However, Rob Thomas is the Executive Producer, and I miss Veronica Mars just enough to give him and the series a few more episodes before I give up on them. But it's definitely on the DVR Bubble.

Have I mentioned that I'm soooo happy that TV's back? Seriously, I'm not sure how I survived the summer. Thank God for Doctor Who.

One more thing, not sure if I've mentioned this, but Fierce And Nerdy is launching on Sunday, September 7th. That's only 3 days away. 3...

TV's Back In School

So a couple of summers ago, CH and I did the math about how much HBO and Showtime cost (around $240 a year) vs. how many programs we watched on both channels. (4--7) and figured that the expense wasn't worth watching things in real time, and that we could just wait for all our favorite shows to come out on DVD.

Practical conclusion, but man was I hurting when that last season of The Wire came around. And for a while there, I couldn't bear that I was going to miss the new Alan Ball series, True Blood. What you say? Vampires + The Executive Producer of Six Feet Under? It was like HBO launched this series to punish me for quitting them. But then I saw the trailer, and it seems like they might have a great idea/poor execution + Kiwi Anna Paquin w/ a hard-to-believe Southern accent problem. See what I mean below, and let me know what you think if you have HBO and watch it.



On the brighter side, I discovered Skins (picture to the right) on BBC America about 3 weeks ago, which is basically a middle-class version of 90210 meets The Wire and so much better and diverse than any high school dramedy that we have on the air that I feel embarrassed for America whenever I watch it. Also, there's not a ton of soap opera involved and it's really easy to jump right into to it. So seek it out if you're looking for something good to replace Gossip Girl, which I watched last night, and have now redubbed Rich And Somehow Incredibly Boring Teenagers.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of things you should seek out, 4 more days until the Fierce And Nerdy launch. 4...

Karma Karma Karma Cornelious

Okay, as many of you know, b/c I've talked about it on this blog and Facebook a couple of times, our cat, Cornelious, though incredibly cute, also

a) was slightly feral when we got him,

b) won't let us pet him and runs away whenever we come anywhere near him, yet

c) insists on following us everywhere in the house, and

d) staring at us like a stalker, which is why

e) we recently acquired two new cats (we meant to adopt just one, but stuff happened) --  to offset his general creepiness.

Well, lo and behold, over 6 months after bringing him into our home, he suddenly decided to start loving on us out of the total blue.  He pushes our laptops out of the way, climbs over our shoulders, launching himself at us at a run -- he'll basically do whatever it takes to get petted. And has made an almost complete switch to being an aggressively lovey-dovey cat. 

We've applied Occum's Razor, and decided that he's either been 

a) Having deep, philosophical conversations with his new older brother, Brian about the benefits of human companionship (now that Brian is on the mend, we're finding out the hard way, that he is also aggressively affectionate -- he obviously went out of his way to hide this trait when he wooed us at the shelter). OR

b) Cornelious has been taken over my a body snatcher.

I'm leaning towards "B," becasue in Stephenie Meyer's The Host, the body snatching alien parasites start with the bees and observe us for some time, before taking over the humans.

So keep your eye on CH and me. If we start be way nicer than we used to be, you know what happened. 

BTW, 5 more days until the Fierce And Nerdy launch. Can't wait! Can't wait! 5...

See CH Break 2 Bones Pt. 6 of 6 - Saturday

This was definitely the worst week of my and CH's relationship so far. And of course, as with all "worst" things, it was also one of the best. 

I don't wish broken bones on any couple, but I do believe that the "in sickness" part reveals a lot about your relationship. It's easy to love someone when things are going well, but in many ways, it's even easier to love someone when they're down. When you're tired and addled with guilty pinch of annoyed and put-out, what I can only describe as this weird back-up generator of Love kicks in and does the work for you. So in a truly loving relationship, it's okay if you lose all of your poetry for a little bit, that generator has your back.

At least that's how it went with us. 

I feel a little silly, now that I'm wrapping this series up, because of course it is in CH's words every time someone tries to fuss over him, "just a broken shoulder and hand bone." And maybe that is all it is for him. He'll probably look back at this time negatively - after all, he's the one who had to go completely against his nature and depend on someone else for almost a complete week. He might remember that his wife, who never yells, got quite stern and/or passive aggressive with him on several occasions when he tried to do something he shouldn't by himself, gave her directions that she didn't need, asked her to do something without saying please. 

The interesting thing about relationships is that there are these constant discoveries. Over the last few months CH has found out that I used to have a Saturday radio show in college; that I'm not the fastest runner, but I'm definitely faster than probably 80% of my female friends; and that I am a stickler for "please" -- really it just drives me crazy when people don't say please.

And I've found out that CH is even more stoic, patient, agreeable and DIY than I was giving him credit for -- and you have to understand he already had a high-credit limit with me for those things before the accident. Now, I've got to upgrade him to a Black Amex card.

Anyway this is all to say, it was a crazy week, I hope that all of you get or have gotten the chance to have one of your own.

That's all,

etc

See CH Break 2 Bones Pt. 5 of 6 - Friday

On Friday, Manny was kind of enough to drive CH to an appointment with the hand specialist that he had been referred to while I attended a recording session at work. 

I met him at the doctor's office, which just so happened to be in the same building as another specialist that I'm seeing right now (more on that maybe later), and one of the nurses led me to an examination room where the doctor was putting a neat little half cast on CH.

As it turned out, CH's hand was broken -- not his finger. The ER doc hadn't told us that, but I'm assuming that why he had put CH in the cast, and no, CH probably shouldn't have been using only a finger brace for three days now. 

But the new, slicker, lighter, MPIH cast was much better and allowed CH to move his fingers and perhaps more importantly "wipe my butt." Like I said, CH was a great patient, but he had his limits. 

Plus as soon as he got cleared from the shoulder doctor, he could start driving, "Just to work and back," he assured me.

The shoulder doctor wasn't quite as lovely as the other MPIH cast -- I mean crew. It took forever for them to usher us in to an examination room, then forever for the doctor to actually see us, only to find out that he wanted CH to get a cat scan at St. Joseph's.

So we went to St. Joseph's and that took awhile, and by the time we were done, we were both hungry and cranky. 

However, in the X-Ray/cat scan waiting room, there was an older woman reading a book. I wondered who she was waiting for, but about 15 minutes later they wheeled a woman on a hospital cot. She laid on her side, obviously weak or in pain, and the woman immediately went over to her cot, took her hand, and started bantering with her. Within 5 minutes, the sick woman had perked up and even laughed weakly at a few things the other woman said.

Oh, it must be her mom, I thought to myself. But after several minutes of eavesdropping on their conversation (I'm a writer, it wouldn't even occur to me not to eavesdrop, sue me), I realized that this wasn't her mother or even relative. She was a friend. And she was there for her friend in her time of need. And her friend was feeling better because of it.

I know I was tired and worn out, but I love people. They never cease to surprise, impress and touch me. And I know terrible things happen, I know we do terrible things to one another, but I think we're all beautiful at the end of the day. I hope you know that.

The cat scan wouldn't be available for hours. "I can pick them up before Janice's bridal shower tomorrow," I said, just so we could get out of there. 

As many of you know, I have the worse sense of direction. But my friend Debra was hosting the shower at her apartment, and when I first moved to Los Angeles, I stayed on Debra's and Janice's (she was Debra's roommate back then) couch for ten days, so I knew it was close by.

What's strange is that I never asked her for this favor. I came to L.A. on a vague visit with my grad school program, which provided a hotel for 3 days, and then I would be on my own. I still remember Debra, who had graduated from the Dramatic Writing the year before me,  sitting beside me on a bench at the Alumnae Welcome Picnic for the new grads and asking me if I needed a place to stay while I found an apartment. It was the first in a Series of Fortunate Events. 

Like I said, people are wonderful.

See CH Break 2 Bones Pt. 4 of 6 - Thursday

I spent Thursday, catching up at work. I was tired, starting to feel rundown. I switched back to caffeinated coffee in the morning. And that was only helping a little bit. 

I think life is a series of discoveries about your own character. Some things you fight against (I'm constantly on a vigilante quest against laziness, pride, fear, low self-esteem, and a host of other traits that I'd rather not harbor), and some things you learn to accept over time. I'm never going to be a tidy person who thinks before she speaks and watches PBS documentaries before going to bed at the same reasonable time every night. And though I wouldn't describe myself as selfish (most days), I am not a natural caretaker at all. 

I found it difficult to arrange my time around someone else's schedules and needs. I found myself trying to fit everything in and therefore getting nothing done particularly well. Also, my famously short attention span did not lend itself well to care taking. I kept forgetting to buckle CH in and let him out. And I was becoming increasingly addled. For instance I said, "Thank you" when I meant to say "Love you" several times to CH. I don't know why. 

But we didn't have any doctor's appointments or must-dos on Thursday, so I took a nap. And I immediately felt better.

Naps are good. 

And highly recommended. 

See CH Break 2 Bones Pt. 3 of 6 - Wednesday

Oh, I did I mention that Brian is also sick? 

CH took him to the hospital the Saturday before the accident, and he was diagnosed with some respiratory illness and tongue ulcers. He was on a steady diet of meds, but by Tuesday night, he was still refusing to eat and had started wheezing through his mouth on top of everything else, even after we cleaned out his gunked-up nose. Plus, he smelled horrible, because he was unable to clean himself. Poor Brian.

So Wednesday morning, I got up early and took him to the Gateway Animal Clinic, which though first come, first serve, was still way faster and efficient than any human medical center I have ever visited. I actually found myself thinking, "Lucky dog."

The vet, who I had never met before (CH usu. handles the vet visits) was really lovely. He petted Brian, even though he smelled horribly, all through the consultation. And I felt reassured after he took Brian away to get rehydrated and told me to pick him up at 5pm.

When I came back out to the lobby, there was a family, waiting there: A mom, a dad and two small daughters. The mom's eyes were red from crying, and the youngest daughter was being comforted by her father. The oldest daughter (she was about 7) though spent a few minutes trying to peek into my cat carrier, until finally she asked, "What's in there." 

"It used to be my cat," I answered, "But he's inside get fixed up. He's sick."

She nodded and sat back in her seat. A few minutes later, the mom asked her if she wanted to go back and say goodbye to their cat before they put her to sleep. "It's your cat," the daughter answered. The mom nodded and didn't say anything else.

I know kids are what they are, and most of the things they say cannot be held against them. But I wish that little girl had been nicer. My actual Alec Baldwinesque, sleep-deprived thought was, "You're a little shit, and I can already see that you lack compassion, that you're going to become one of those horrible adults that lack compassion." 

I was tired. I hope that isn't true. I hope she grows up into a perfectly nice woman who doesn't remember saying to her mother, "It's your cat." Just like I don't remember half the mean stuff I said to my mother. It's easier that way. Cycle of life and all that.

I was reassured by my visit the doctor's office, but overwhelmed. I already had to go home, get CH showered and dressed, drive him to work, get the rest of my work done and then get back over to Atwater to pick up Brian. 

I thought I appreciated everything CH did beforehand, but much like my love after he nearly got hit by that car, my appreciation of his efforts seemed to super-quantify* that day. 

I didn't understand how I had managed by myself all that time before him. I didn't understand how single mothers do what they do.

This is one of the many reasons I am such an avid supporter of gay marriage. Some of us are naturally independent, but most of us need another person in our lives, to help, to love, to balance us out -- to pick up the slack when the other one falls. 

Pairing up is a basic human right. And I seriously don't see how any of us could deny that right to any other human being. It's the equivalent to saying, "It's your cat" to your crying mother. That's all.

*yeah, i'm not sure this remotely means what i want it to mean in that sentence. but it sounds so perfect. please forgive.