Blah

    Hey all, it's another Thursday closer to June!  This weekend is big for me because it's my first wedding anniversary, (although the actual day isn't until Monday).  We don't really have any fancy plans, but we are going out to dinner and treating ourselves to a much-needed night out together.  Even though we've been together for a long time already, I'm very happy and I can't wait to spend many more years with my Bear:)  Here's to us! (I know I'm toasting myself, so what?)
    This week I started working out at a new fitness center.  I decided to take hold of my future self and get a grip on my health.  I'm not an entirely unhealthy person, but I do have tendencies to let go of willpower and stray from the path I should be on.  I haven't been able to kick start my own workout regimen in the last few years, so I thought it was about time to have someone else help me start it.  So far, after the first week, I'm getting along really well with my trainer.  We have a lot in common and we never run out of things to talk about.  We're also taking it slow, which is nice for me and my knees.  I'm looking forward to going forward and improving my willpower, my strength and my weight overall.
    TV this week was even more scarce yet again.  SPOILERS, obviously...

    The Bachelorette was literally the only thing on that I watched this week so far.  The finale season has ruined my TV schedule, having more than half my shows ending in the span of a week.  Bare with me as I scrape by on this lone review.  The good news is that we got a more in-depth look at the guys this week as we maneuver through a couple one-on-one dates and an x-tra sexy group date.  Some girls might've found the strip teases pleasing to the eye, but that display of packages was all but lost on me.  I did enjoy the date between Andi and Chris, the impossibly-sexy and huge farmer.  Who makes farmers like that anyway?!  Seriously, the guy is like Paul Bunyan incarnate...  Sweet as a button and such a gentleman, I can't think of anything I don't like about this guy, (yet).  Honestly, I don't think I could ever be disappointed with him; he seems to have a decent head on his shoulders, so I can't see him ganging up on the other guys in petty useless arguments that are bound to happen.  Obviously Eric's date was great too, but I will spend the entire season feeling bad for him because he's gone.  It makes it even more difficult to watch, knowing he was a great person with little to no flaws to speak of.  The unfortunate circumstances around how he died were surpassed by the happiness he was experiencing while he was with Andi.  Everyone would want to know that he passed doing what he loved with people he cared about.  I was really surprised that they introduced the drunken idiot this close to the beginning of the season.  I'm glad she didn't waste any time getting rid of his sorry ass.  We ended the episode on a high note with next weeks exciting double feature event.  Let's see how much drama we can fit into TWO full episodes!
    So far, at this point in the competition, the pickings are plenty, so it's still difficult to pick a top 5, let alone a top 3.  I would obviously put Chris the Farmer as my top choice, followed by Dylan from Boston, (the only reason I'm rooting for him at all, seeing as he hasn't gotten much air time), and then Josh M. the baseball player, solely because he was the only other person to get a kiss from Andi.  We'll see how this list develops, but I have a feeling I'm not going to like Josh within the next few episodes.  Other than that, I'm looking forward to the newest installment of Game of Thrones, having had a weekend off last week.  I have a bunch of plans to get to this weekend, so I hope everyone enjoys theirs too!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Short but Sweet

    Happy Thursday everyone!  I hope everyone has had a great week so far, with more good days to come.  It has finally started raining here, after what I feel was about a week of predicted rain with nothing to show for it.  On the not-so-bright side, it's going to be really gloomy for the next few days, so I'll have no excuse to go outside.  Bummer...  But getting to spend the day outside for my job has  been the biggest perk.  I finally found a job that I'm good at, (relatively speaking), and I love it.  It's fun to play with the kids and be active during the day.  Honestly, I'm still working on dealing with the kids because they're so young but it's gotten a lot better.  I've found that hard work really does pay off and eventually everything will fall into place.
    Let's just hop right into TV news.  Only two shows were on this weekend worth mentioning and they were Game of Thrones, as usual, and the new season of The Bachelorette!!  SPOILERS:

    Game of Thrones was awesome this week as we see Tyrion reeling from the aftershock of his speech.  He's visited by three spirits: his brother Jaimie, his sell-sword Bronn and the Prince of Dorne himself.  Oberyn ended up being the unlikely savior by proclaiming himself as Tyrion's much-needed champion against the Mountain.  We'll see how this plays out for him, but I'm betting it doesn't go well.  On the other side of Westeros, Arya, The Hound, Lady Brienne and Podrick are all on their way to The Vale to see if Sansa is there.  Guess what?  She is!  She's safe in Petyr's warm, creepy embrace, especially after he pushes that crazy bitch Lysa out of the Moon Door.  I feel bad for her son, who now has to sit on the throne and pretend to rule The Vale while Petyr actually calls the shots.  On the other hand, that sickly bastard will probably die soon anyway, so it's better this way.  At least Daenerys got some this week, FINALLY.  Lord knows we were all waiting for that to happen.  I'm secretly hoping that by the end of this season we will have confirmation of Lady Stoneheart's existence.

    The Bachelorette has begun and it might be the best bachelorette ever.  The lady is a fox, and a Phi Mu to boot, so she has my respect.  I have to say, the group of guys she has to chose from isn't bad either.  Andi will have her work cut out for her this season, but I already have a few favorites.  Obviously it would be stupid to come out with a top five at this point because every time I do that almost all of the guys on my list become jerks.  So in the spirit of competition, I will only point out two that I thought stood a fair chance with Andi this season: Dylan and Tasos.  I liked Dylan initially because he's from Boston so, you know, I have to stick by my New England guys.  Tasos, on the other hand, can speak French.  Also, his name is friggin Tasos, what's not to love?! (except his earrings...).  I'm excited to see how this season will work out, but from the looks of the previews it looks like your typical reality show dating roller coaster ride.  Rooting for Andi to find the love she deserves!

    That's it for TV reviews this week.  Sadly, because of all the finales that happened last week, I barely have any shows to watch now.  My reviews will most likely return to a more literal approach, having four books to read by the end of the summer.  I will say that my husband and I went to see Godzilla on Monday and it was AWESOME!!  I went into the movie having never seen a traditional or original Godzilla film, so I had no preconceived notions about what I should like or shouldn't like.  I loved the action and it was just a good old fashioned monster movie in my opinion.  The people involved didn't even matter, it was just all about the big guy.  I highly recommend it, from the point of view of someone who usually hates scary monster movies.  This weekend I'm hoping to see the new X-Men movie, so maybe I'll be able to review that one next week too.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Finale Week

    Hey there, hi there, ho there!  It's Thursday yet again and can I just say I'm RELIEVED to finally be rid of finals week?!  Not only did I manage to get an 11-page literary review on Tumblr done in about 9 hours, but I also managed to pass it in a day early!  Yay me!  Year one of grad school accomplished:)  Now that I don't have any more homework to do, I'm in that awkward in-between stage of Spring where I have no idea what to do with all the free time I now have at my disposal.  I made a promise to myself that I would leave the apartment and venture out into the outside world, so I will try to make as many plans with friends as possible.  We'll see how that goes...but with my husband pushing me out the door it might not be as difficult as I imagine.

    I will say, having spent so much time inside this winter has really made me reevaluate my health and wellness.  As someone who suffers from Lupus, I really should be taking better care of myself.  I don't want to say I've let myself go, but I could be putting a little more effort into eating correctly, making a conscious effort to get outside on those nice days and really taking control of my health.  Even if it's just a low-impact workout routine, I need something to get my butt off this couch every week.  I'll be looking for programs and workouts that peak my interests, so if anyone has any suggestions for exercises geared towards joint health, let me know in the comments below!  I'm looking forward to getting back out there, visiting some local farmer's markets and getting back on track.

    Another part of this reevaluation has been the cleanliness of our home.  Obviously we don't have a lot of space in this one-bedroom apartment, but on days where I'm bored and don't know what I should do with my time, I might try cleaning up a bit and maybe reorganizing some things around here.  There are some days when I come home and get really annoyed and overwhelmed with the state of some of the rooms in this apartment and even though not all of it is my fault, I know I could do at least a little more to help clean up.  This weekend I'm planning on doing a massive clean-out of my closet and drawers, so everything that doesn't fit or I don't wear anymore is out of here.  Hopefully I can find the time and money to go shopping for the things I do need, (apparently every year I have to buy new shorts...).  I also need to get more professional outfits for teaching next year, so that would be fun.  Eventually my house will be the way I want it, but until then, I'll make due with what I have.

    Alright, so for TV this week there were a lot of season finales.  Here come the SPOILERS...

  It was not The Amazing Race finale this week, but it was the second to last episode.  The teams traveled to England to play on the Liverpool football pitch, which was super cool!  It did make me feel like I could have definitely completed that task in less time than some of the other teams.  How do so many people NOT know how to kick a soccer ball?!?  Regardless, all the teams eventually made it to the most difficult challenge ever: reciting a poem in Welsh.  This is something I might have actually be able to do because I've taken an Old English class before and it seemed pretty similar, (although I could be wrong).  The one detour that surprised me was the Blonde's shooting techniques.  How they managed to pull off a spot in the final three is beyond me, but I'm still rooting for Dave and Connor.  I was actually sad to see the Afghanimals go this time around, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the last we'll see of those guys.

  The Once Upon a Time finale was EPIC!  I wasn't sure if I would like Emma and Hook traveling through time, but then Emma screwed up her parents meeting each other for the first time, so obviously they had to make it worse.  That's just how these things go.  Anyway, my favorite part was after they got back and Emma realized that she wanted to stay and love Hook forever and they made out together on the patio and it was AWESOME!  Oh, and everyone else was way too happy, so they had to ruin everyone's good vibes with Emma screwing everything up AGAIN for Regina by bringing back Maid Marion, who was supposed to die so that Robin and Regina could be together.  I found it ironic that Snow had managed to ruin Regina's love life by trying to do the right thing in the past and now her daughter managed to do it.  I think Regina is just destined for horrible luck, so we'll see what she does after Robin makes a decision.  Obviously we'd assume he'd pick Marion, but now he has a problem with fate and the prophesy and all that Tinkerbell jazz.  The best and most cliff-hanging part of the finale was the end, where an blue princess came up out of the ground and appeared to shoot ice from her hands...  It seems like the rumors of Frozen coming to Storybrooke were true after all.  From the way they introduced her, it seems like Elsa might start out evil, but who knows?  Let me know what you think of this addition to the cast of the next season.

  Clearly Game of Thrones has just begun.  The best part of this week's episode was Tyrion's speech before his verdict was said to be reached.  The way he went off on everyone was just amazing and his emotional delivery was flawless.  Shae better run and hide now, because she'll get nothing but ice from Tyrion now.  I am a little disappointed that he didn't trust his brother to let him live, but then again this is the way Tyrion would've handled the situation, and boy did he handle it.  I can't wait to see what happens with him because they're obviously not going to kill him.  Unfortunately I'm having trouble remembering anything else that happened in that episode because that speech just blew everything else out of the water.  Daenerys was basically just trying to help all her new people with their issues, which was sort of boring actually.  That whole situation with "Reek" and his sister trying to rescue him was sad too.  At this point, I hope someone can just put Theon out of his misery.  I was hoping that Ramsay would get what's coming to him by way of Yara, but alas she did not succeed in her mission.  I do think they will come back in greater numbers, but this wasn't the highlight of the episode by any means.

  Agents of Shield had their finale as well this week.  They finally brought in Nick Fury, after a long wait.  He wasn't even really an integral part of the episode; just a guy with some cool sunglasses on.  I think Fury came back partially to prove a point: that SHIELD isn't dead yet and there's always hope.  The action was lacking in this finale, but I don't think we needed it.  The exchange between Skye and Ward was awesome, especially when May came out of nowhere to exact her revenge.  The situation with Fitz and Simmons was heart-wrenching.  I wanted them to live so badly and I got my wish, but just barely.  We still don't know how Fitz is holding up, but we do know he put how he feels about Simmons out in the open, (FINALLY).  My favorite part was when Deathlok got the message from Ace through Skye and stomped Garrett's face in.  Sadly he didn't stay down for long, but Coulson fixed that with some alien technology blaster.  I like the looks of the new team and hope they are able to rebuild what they lost and more.  I'm eager to see how they fit this story line into the next few adaptations of the Marvel universe in film.  I'm also eager to see how they put Skye's supposed "father" in play and what role he'll have in the new season, especially if he's in league with Cybertek.
    That's all I have for TV reviews this week.  I'd say those finales were all pretty spectacular!  This weekend Godzilla comes out and I think I may want to go see it.  I usually don't do scary movies, (yes, Godzilla would count as a "scary" movie, at least per my standards), but this remake looks way too good to pass up.  Other than that, nothing special going on for me.  Possibly arranging some meet-ups with friends, but otherwise cleaning house.  I may start one of my books I got for Christmas, (GASP).  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

    *In accordance with Lupus Awareness Month, tomorrow is "Put on Purple" day to raise awareness for Lupus.  Everyone should wear something purple tomorrow to show your support!*

Good News All Around!

    I know, it's Friday, not Thursday...  I've been super busy again because I'm winding down from finals week.  As of right now, I've finished almost all of my projects save for the big one: the 10-15 page literary review, (which really isn't a review of literature as much as it is an essay regarding a 21st-century writing topic).  It's due Wednesday, so hopefully I can finish by then, but I'll have to be smart about time management.  Because of all of this, plus work, I've been super busy as well as super tired with no willpower to do anything but sit, let alone type a blog.
    Like the title suggests, I have plenty of good news to go around since my last post.  Not only did I get the summer day camp counselor position I wanted, but I also got placed for my internship!  Now that I have security, I can finally relax.  I'll be starting summer camp training in the middle of June and teaching Freshman English starting at the end of August.  I'm beyond excited about both of these opportunities so I can't wait to get started!  Things are looking up.

    This month is also Lupus Awareness Month, where people are encouraged to find out more about Lupus and do what they can to raise awareness.  The official Lupus website for the Lupus Foundation of America provides information on Lupus and various organizations to raise awareness and funds for Lupus research.  As someone who has Lupus, this month has always been important to me in order to educate my friends and family on the severity and complexity of this chronic illness.  I hope that you guys check it out and learn more about this disease.  "Put On Purple"Day is May 16th, so put on something purple to raise Lupus awareness!
    Now it's time for TV spoilers and reviews!

  The Amazing Race had it's ups and downs this week.  I was very sad to see the cowboys go home because they had played a loyal and fair race.  They just struck out on luck this week.  I was really hoping to see the Blondes go home, finally, but alas, they live to race another day...  Easily my favorite part of this episode was when Brenchel got pummeled by the "raging bulls" and Rachel kept whining about them being "too hard on them" just because she's a girl.  Sorry hun, just because you're a girl, doesn't mean they will give you a free pass.  In fact, strong women are very popular right now, so you feigning frailty isn't going to get you sympathy points.  If Dave and Connor win this, I will be perfectly fine with that.

  Once Upon a Time was awesome this week!  The way Regina embraced her light magic really let us see that she has changed.  Although I don't believe that Zelena is actually gone for good, I am impressed with Regina's resilience.  What's up with the green smoke and what will happen to the necklace now that it's in Regina's vault?  If Zelena regains her human form she can wreak some serious havoc in that chamber, so fingers crossed that that doesn't happen.  I really loved the way Rumple proposed to Belle with his dagger.  It showed her that he's literally willing to give up his life for her.  But that pride turned into confusion and hatred as soon as he revealed to Zelena that he tricked Belle with a duplicate dagger so he could stab Zelena with the real one.  Come on Rumple, you're FINALLY free!  Neal wouldn't have wanted this to happen...  I'm not sure if Emma will really end up going back to New York, but I say she stays with a last minute change of heart.  Partially because of her new baby brother!  No name yet, but I'm sure we'll find out this weekend.  I can't wait until they have their actual real-life baby!

  Game of Thrones was alright this week.  Not my favorite episode, but definitely suspenseful.  I was REALLY hoping that Bran would yell out to Jon, but I know why he didn't.  Jon will be kicking himself if he ever finds out that they were there that whole time and didn't say anything.  Jon was reunited with his long-lost dire wolf, which was very touching.  I want a Stark family reunion! (whoever is left I guess...).  Sansa looked downright terrified at Lisa's emotional rampage and who can blame her?  Now she has to bunk up with the crazies and I feel really bad for her right now.  I think the only truly innocent character right now is Tommen, the poor bastard.  I like the relationship he has with Margaery and I think they would work well together.  I also enjoyed watching Arya practice her swordsmanship while with the Hound.  She seems like she's gotten so much better and I can't wait to see her strike out on her own and kill everyone on her list.
    That's all I have for this week.  I saw Amazing Spider Man 2 last weekend and it was wicked good!  I would definitely recommend it.  There has also been an announcement that they are rebooting the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger movie!  It's still in the beginning stages and a lot is unknown as of now, but I'm still excited about it.  They will most likely not use the original cast, (for obvious reasons), but I would bet money on Jason David Frank making at least a cameo appearance.  This weekend is Mother's Day, so I will be spending time with my mom, cooking, baking and drinking lots of wine!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

It's Finally May!

    Happy Thursday!  This week is great because both of my classes end, (although I still have at least a couple assignments that aren't due until the 14th).  The point is that I can start working more at the after school program as well as the morning one.  Making more money will make me very happy, especially if I don't end up getting that summer job.  At this point I still don't know where I stand, but I'm hoping to find out by tomorrow.  Unfortunately I don't think I'll hold my breath on that one...I should probably start looking elsewhere.  Regardless, less class time will hopefully give me more opportunity to work on the papers I have to accomplish before their due dates.

    Internship news: so far nothing yet.  I was supposed to meet with the same cooperating teacher I met with before vacation today, but she had a last-minute substitute.  We might be meeting tomorrow, but at this point I wouldn't mind working with her next year.  I can't really afford to be picky in my situation anyway, but I can't see a downside so far, besides the obvious age gap between what I envisioned for myself and what she teaches.  I think I'll be able to make high school work, but we'll see what she thinks.  I can't make the decision by myself.  If that were the case, I would've had a teacher by now.
    As for reviews, I am actually a little behind.  With everything going on this week and my husband working late almost every night, we haven't watched any shows this week yet.  So, all I have for you is Sunday programs.  Sorry!  Luckily, that's the most exciting day for television anyway.  SPOILERS:

  Amazing Race was a bit disappointing this week, being a non-elimination round.  The Blondies escape elimination yet again, by sheer luck.  I would have much rather seen them or Brenchel go home, but at this point I don't even care.  The girls keep pulling this "helpless" act in front of everyone and I can't tell if they really are that useless or if it's a ruse.  I would think that if you didn't know how to navigate, read road signs or directions or understand any foreign language, you wouldn't even bother signing up for the race, unless you wanted the TV publicity.  We'll see how next week goes, but right now my vote is for either the Cowboys or Dave and Connor, who both definitely deserve the win.

  Once Upon a Time was great this week, solely because Henry got his memory back.  In fact, everyone did, which should make everything a lot easier.  I feel bad for Hook because Zelena put him in a bad spot with Emma because of her mini cursed lips scenario.  He was only trying to protect her by staying away from her and not making himself a distraction.  Needless to say I was heartbroken when she told him she couldn't trust him anymore, which I think is ridiculous.  Hopefully this all gets reconciled so they can FINALLY be together, (I'm desperate now, but it'll probably never happen at this rate).  As for the brief appearance of Neil, that created a lot more controversy than the curses.  I don't understand why, because what happened at the end of the episode happened in the past when everyone was back in the Enchanted Forest before the curse that sent them back to Storybrooke, so he's still very much dead, but is there a chance that he could be brought back with another sacrifice?  Only time will tell, but I'm excited about this weekend's episode with Dorothy.  Maybe she can give us some insight into the "light magic" phenomenon that seems to be able to beat Zelena.

  Game of Thrones was awesome as well this week.  I was glad to find out who actually killed Joffrey, but I had a feeling Baelish was behind it somehow.  As for his creepy infatuation with Sansa, I bet she caves and ends up being with him out of pure loneliness.  She seems like one of the perfect candidates to train to become his right-hand lady: emotionally drained/crippled, no family and a will for vengeance with little to no physical attributes to speak of.  I think she would make a great manipulator, but we'll see.  I cringed when Hodor gets stabbed and taunted by those douche bags at Krastor's Keep.  Also, hitting Bran and keeping him hostage will probably be the worst idea Karl will ever have, seeing as Jon is on his way to them right now.  I can't wait for that reunion!  It seems like it's been forever since we've seen more than one Stark on screen together.  I'm also looking forward to seeing how Daenerys handles the situation with all her newly-freed slaves.  I believe that eventually it'll become too much for her to handle, especially with her dragons getting bigger every day.  I know that the biggest upset over this week's episode was the very end, with the White Walkers.  I'm glad we finally found out what happened to all those poor bastard babies, but what exactly are they doing to them?  Are they growing their army?  What's happening?  Apparently it's not in the books, so everyone is at a loss.  We'll see where this goes, but I'm sure it'll be explained eventually.
    That's it for reviews.  Some very big news from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie happened yesterday when a new, longer TMNT trailer was released.  It is the second official trailer for the movie and includes a better, (although still really brief), look at all the turtles and their turtle faces.  It's basically the first trailer with an extended middle section, by like ten seconds.  It's nothing incredibly different, but it still got me even more excited for August.  I'm going to be a wreck the closer we get to the release, but I'm betting there will be more trailers to come in the next few months.  Getting excited!

    Now that that's finished, I can get back to work.  This weekend I may be going to see Spider Man 2, so I might talk about that next week.  I love getting to sleep in and spend time with family over the weekends.  It really makes you cherish and enjoy those moments you have to stay in bed and relax with the people you care about.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.