trips to ulta, and other makeup.

Yeah, I know... Am I ever going to get back to updating regularly? I plan on doing so! I just ended my second week of training at my new job, and... well, it's a bit stressful. We've got our tests coming up this week, and I hope I do well at them! I'm unfortunately someone who blanks out under pressure. Now, the paper tests I'm not so worried about, because it's an "open book" test, but the mock calls... well, I hope I can do all of that right! 

Tonight, I'll be discussing my recent purchases at Ulta. An Ulta finally opened in Nashville. We have two others in the Nashville area, but they're not really in Nashville. I'm going way out of my way when going to the other two stores. I'm so glad there's one now 20 minutes away from my house! 

just a few updates...

Well, well! Look who's returned from the blogging dead! I got a new job, and finished my previous job almost two weeks ago. Those last few days were a bit hectic. Instead of lazing around, doing nothing, I ended up doing anything but resting the few days off I had in between jobs... 

And my training schedule? Well, I get the weekends off again! Unfortunately, I work 3pm-11pm. I wake up, I lounge around, I sit in a classroom for eight hours, then I come home and go to bed. I have very basic days. 

I'm going to get the swing of blogging again tomorrow. I've got some new makeup products, "It's Always Sunny" started again last week (and other shows are starting this month), and I've been watching ER nonstop the past few weeks. (As I type this, I just got done with "Be Still My Heart" and "All in the Family" is starting. That's right, the most iconic Valentine's Day episodes of any show. And, no, I haven't been able to find them online to watch, so instead, I'm a good fan and I've bought seasons 6 and 10 on DVD.) 

As far as television goes... well, I won't get into details on tonight's "Breaking Bad", but... OH. MY. GOD. I actually missed the first fifteen minutes, but it doesn't matter, because those last 20 minutes...! Next Sunday can't come any sooner. The premiere of "It's Always Sunny" was this past Wednesday. I'm so glad Dee (Kaitlin Olson) was able to truly headline this episode. I unfortunately spoiled myself, so I found out the big twist before I got to see the episode, but it was still a bit sad, yet predictable. "Futurama" ended, again, this past Wednesday. No one on Twitter or Facebook had said anything about it, but I got spoiled by a news website (MSN or some other site). A new website! It was on their front page! I still haven't seen it, but I'm excited. It seems so very sweet. 

My Mom's birthday is tomorrow, and because of me and my sister's work schedules, we went out to eat and celebrate tonight. We went to Rodizo's Brazilian Steakhouse tonight, and... wow. It's pricey, but you get unlimited appetizers - you get three -, unlimited side items - and there's a lot -, and unlimited meat. It's some of the finest meat I have had! Actually, I've had better, but it was still pretty good. I am stuffed to the core! 

I went to Ulta on Friday, and bought three types of eyeshadows. I do need to buying eyeshadow, I've got enough to last me at least a year. Ulta has a "21 Days of Beauty" special going on right now, both in stores and online. I briefly glanced through the specials, and... well, I'm very excited about the upcoming deals. 

I'm going to finish up this disc of ER before laying down for the night. I am going to keep up with this, this time! With my new job and hopefully new opportunities arising, I'll definitely have more to talk about.   

daiso charcoal natural pack face mask

Look at this cutie!

Two weeks ago, when I was decided upon going on a cosmetics haul, I stumbled upon this item. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this page - I think I was searching for some sort of facial cleanser - but I'm glad I did. I'm always up for trying new and unique items, and this is definitely "new" (as in, it's new to me) and unique!

Even though I received this in the mail a week ago, I didn't try it until last night. Why, I'm not sure, but I figured, I wasn't going to let this collect dust any longer!

sephora - "part of your world" eyeshadow palette

That's right, folks.

For whatever reason, and this must be a first-world problem, because...well, really, especially for the past year, any time I get paid, I just go crazy with my money. I had a lot more to spend with this past paycheck (all thanks to my move), so I spent so much of it on makeup from Sephora and Ulta. Now, I'm really stingy with spending money on cosmetics. I realize the better stuff is more expensive, so any time I do go to a higher-end shop, I make sure to get some free swag with my purchases. I am going to get my money's worth of stuff, and I sure did that this past Friday.

I'll get to the majority of my swag probably tomorrow or Saturday, but today... well, you see that picture. Any 80's/90's girls who are reading this just might be gawking hearing about a name-brand "The Little Mermaid" makeup set. There aren't too many higher-end brands who sell Disney products. MAC had the "Venemous Villains" collection back in 2010 (I still use my Cruella de Vil eyeshadow and lipgloss), and lately Sephora's been releasing various Princess collections (Cinderella & Jasmine). According to various sources, Ariel's collection will be the last by Sephora. I'm surprised, because I know they make money from this. These type of things sell out in a heartbeat. Who knows, their loss might be someone else's gain.

I find it a bit off that this was released within the past month. I figure they would have released this around the time that "The Little Mermaid" is going to be released on blu-ray/3D blu-ray for it's Diamond Edition. I'm not complaining too much, though; I'd rather spend my money in increments than all together. (I'll be spending... probably no more than $40 on the steelbook blu-ray from Zavvi, so I'd rather spend $30 now on this and $40 on that later!) This, of course, reminds me that this film won't be re-released in theatres due to the lack of success of previous Disney re-releases. ("The Lion King" was the only successful re-release, which doesn't surprise me. I have a feeling this would have been profitable, but I guess we'll never know.)

tonymoly - latte art milk-tea morning pack

Last week, I decided I need to get back into a habit of properly cleaning my face. I have Clinique, but I was only using it every now and then. Sunday night, I went out and bought a Clean&Clear set (a deep cleaning toner and a foaming cleanser) to use at night, while I use my Clinique set in the morning.

Friday, I went around searching for various facial products. I don't mind trying out different brands, as long as I carefully look over them to make sure they won't hurt my skin. (I have fairly sensitive skin.) I've been interested in trying out more sleeping/night/morning packs; I once used Tonymoly's Intense Repair Dual Effect Sleeping Pack, and I fell in love with the results. After reading the reviews and the information a bit more, I decided to try out Tonymoly's Latte Art Milk-Tea Morning Pack!

caramel macchiatos and a breakfast sandwich

I'm obsessed with this particular drink...and LINE Camera.

Caramel Macchiato.

My co-worker and I went to Starbucks during lunch yesterday. We weren't too hungry - there was a large potluck in our department yesterday - but we were tired and needing the coffee we hadn't had that morning. I decided to get this drink, a caramel macchiato. I had never tried it before, but I had heard of it many times.

 

Oh. My. Glob.

I was in Heaven with that first sip. I had to resist the urge to down it like a shot. I was happy I caved in to purchase a Venti - I won't be doing that too often, that thing is over $5 with tax - because that thing is delicious. I shouldn't have been surprised when all the milkiness went away, but that coffee was...quite bitter. Sweet, but bitter. That coffee taste really sits at the bottom unless you stire it up! I finished it, because I needed to stay awake those last few hours.

Mon petit dejouner.  

I knew I had to come back today to get it again. I was talking to my friend yesterday, and he recommended the spinach wrap, so I thought, "Well, I'm trying to eat healthier, I'll get a spinach wrap and a coffee!" (I know the coffee isn't healthy, and I doubt the wrap is the healthiest thing in the world, but hey, spinach is healthy, and a diet happens for me one step at a time.) Well, after talking to the barista at Starbucks, the idea of a spinach wrap was thrown away, and I was suddenly interested in a turkey bacon sandwich.

Mon petit dejouner, up close and personal.

I told the lady, "No egg!" and she seemed compliant...until I bit into my sandwich here at work and, low and behold, there's egg. Now, I actually couldn't taste the egg too much at first, but I noticed my sandwich was thicker than it should have been. I looked at it and studied it closely, and determined that there was egg in my sandwich. Normally, I'd pick off the egg and continue on, but eggs are healthy, so I sucked it up - and boy could I now taste that egg in every bit afterwards - and continued on.

Yes, I realize this is not exactly the best "first post" after not posting in a week and a half. I've been housesitting for my parents and helping run my Mom's business, as well as move and have a job interview (I start my new job in September!)... and then I was obsessed with Comic Con last weekend... So I've been pretty busy for a while. I'll be getting back into the swing of things this week, once I stop moving. (Well, tomorrow there should be a post - I'm going to a Fifth Harmony concert and meet&greet. I'm excited about that!)

la fete nationale/bastille day

joyeux le quatorze juillet!

(Just like we say "Happy 4th of July", they say "Happy 14th of July")

WOW, this post should have been up Monday, but we were so busy that day and I didn't post on my off day yesterday... So, honestly, expect two posts today. (One for this, and I may do a post on some TV I watched last night, but that might turn into a post later this week.)

Anyways, my friend Megan and I love France. We've each been to the country twice (once together, and then we each had a separate trip before that), and well, we're dying to go back. ("Dying" might be a literal term in this case. We're stir crazy for some sort of travel, and Paris is higher towards the top of our lists.) We haven't seen each other in a while - we're busy, busy, busy working adults - and I suggested we celebrate Bastille Day, since this year it fell on our off days.

[caution: raw chicken bits ahead. I've emitted the grosser bits in picture form, but descriptions are still there.]

#moviereview - pacific rim

(HTML stars don't post well on my work computer, I'll fix this asap.)

(4 1/2 stars)

While this wasn't the most anticipated movie of the summer, a huge surge of positive word-of-mouth has increased this film's popularity and anticipation.

I'm a huge Guillermo del Toro fan. I'm a fan of his Hellboy movies, as well as Pan's Labrynth. I'm a big fan of much of the cast (Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, Ron Pearlman, Mana Ashida). I'm a sucker for loud action movies. (Let's just say I'm a bigger fan of Transformers than I'd like to admit at times.)

I think I first heard about this movie a year ago, around the the time of Comic Con 2012. Back then, of course, I was high off of excitement for Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness, two of the most anticipated 2013 summer blockbusters. I knew that this movie would be good - I trusted the director and the cast - but I excitement, at the time, wasn't at the level as it was for other films. In March, there was a preview shown at WonderCon, and ever since then, my excitement has been in full gear.

For the past couple of weeks, various critics and celebrities have been able to attend special screening/premieres of the film. Kanye West's tweets about the movie increased my excitement, if that was even possible by that point. I follow a few critics/reviewers on Twitter, and while of course there are a few "negative nelly's" floating around, many people have been praising the film.

[spoilers ahead]

VA2013: day four (final day)

Trolley!

My final post on my escapades in Virginia!

VA2013: day three

Ducks!

(Whoops, didn't post this yesterday. Maybe I'll post the last two days today?)

VA2013: day two

I miss having a 7/Eleven around.

VA2013: day one

I know that picture isn't much, but I can't give away too much with an introduction picture!

VA2013: getting to and from there

Going to Virginia, I used three forms of transportation in getting to and from there: car, bus, and train.

a few quick updates...

My sincerest apologies for not posting anything since June 22nd! (Thanks to Blogger for the reminder.)

I had little inspiration last week. I worked, worked, worked, and attempted catching up on television. I did nothing last week, I was seriously broke before my getting my paycheck, so that added to having nothing to write about.

I do have some events coming up, like concerts, movies, out-of-town visits, and moving, so I'll have more to write up in the coming weeks. The Emmy nominations will officially be announced in less than two weeks (13 days!), and based on my post about who I would likely nominate...well, I'll be having a lot to write about. (I know the television I watch has little to no chance of being nominated.)

From this past Sunday to yesterday, I was up North visiting my ONTD/Twitter buddy Rachel (go visit her blog!). I took many pictures and will be doing 2-3 posts on it over the next few days! I should have the first part of my trip up later today, so look out for that!

2013 emmy ballot

The Emmy ballots have recently been revealed. Recently, I've been looking through the list, already guessing who will and will not be nominated. True, there are always surprises thrown in, but a lot of the winners tend to be fairly predictable. (Some are deserving, and some are not, but that's another discussion.)

Really, it's only been in the past two-three years that I've actively been following critics, other writers, and fans "nominations". I like to see who wants to nominated, and who they think will be nominated. A lot of the same nominations have been thrown in year after year, with most people consecutively losing. (You only have so many winners each year.)

I was looking at the last, and I'll admit, I don't watch quite as much TV as I used to, though I know of almost every, if not every, show on the ballot list. So, I thought about it - what if I just made a list of Emmy nominees based on the shows I watch (while throwing in names of shows I should have watched)?

I think this will be fun.

LIGHT: Bruce Munro at Cheekwood

So many lights!

Last night, I went with my family to the "LIGHT" exhibit at Cheekwood in West Nashville. This is the second "LIGHT" exhibit in North America, and it's running from May-November of this year. The only days you can see it are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4:30-11pm each night. The cost of admission is $15/adult (students, seniors, and children get discounts), plus $3 parking.

This exhibit is absolutely breathtaking. The sights, sounds, and even the smells are amazing. There's music playing in various parts of the exhibit (both by musicians and sounds coming from speakers), there's drinks and food stands, so you could spend a lot of time here. I was so enamoured by it that I took a lot of pictures, some of which I will show you today!

There were so many flower lights displayed throughout the grasses and fields at Cheekwood.

They changed colors, so at times there would be a field of flowers in a rainbow-y type fashion.

(Watch my Vine videos for this here and here.)

When you first walk to the exhibit, you see these tower-type objects.

They also change color, but music is also emitting from them.

(See my Vine video for this here.)

This was in the Japanese portion of the exhibit.

This was also in the Japanese portion of the exhibit.

These were flashing near the lake.

The lights reminded of light sticks, and the flashing reminded me of a nightclub.

It was a fun area to be around!

(See my Vine video for this here.)

#moviereview - The Purge

★★★☆☆



I do realize this came out a week ago, and while I did see this opening weekend, and actually had some of this review written... I was feeling a bit out of it last week. Sorry for the delay!

I remember seeing the trailer for this movie a few months ago and being terrified by it. It wasn't until a month or so ago that I went back and looked up this movie, and suddenly my interested in this movie sparked. This movie has a good idea, and I figured it could be a decent horror film.

My Dad and I decided to go see this movie this lastSunday, after we realized we couldn't see Fast 6 that day. Was it a good decision to this over Fast 6?

[spoilers ahead]

#topfive - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (season 8)

A year ago, I began watching this show. I had heard of the show before that, but had never watched it. Honestly, Charlie Day had interested me so much after seeing his performance in "Horrible Bosses", and the people I know who watch this show love it, so I began recording this show on my DVR.

Well, recording turns into me buying all six seasons (the seventh hadn't come out on blu-ray/DVD by that point) over the course of six weeks. (I would have watched it on Netflix, but they just added the show to their listings a couple of months ago.) While it can be hard at times for me to watch shows back-to-back, I watched this show repeatedly last summer. I was obsessed. This has become one of my "pick-me-up" shows. This is one of the few shows that, if I'm upset or mad, I can just put on an episode and instantly feel better.

I don't remember which episode I watched first, but I'm sure it wasn't an episode from the first season. I'm not sure I would be writing this all week today if I had started from the beginning. (No, I watched seasons one and two after the rest of the seasons.) What fascinates me, probably the most, is the unapologetic nature of these characters. (Some are more unapologetic than others.) They know what they think, they have their own opinions, all of which are true and right. They will let you know how they think, and more often than not they will loudly let you know. (Yelling is just how they roll.)

I know season 9 won't begin for another three months, but I want to go ahead and discuss my five favorite episodes from season 8.

#moviereview - the internship

★★★☆☆



I've been very curious about seeing this movie, especially since it's trailer is playing in front of all movies, and it's being promoted all over TV. I wasn't sure when or how I would see this movie, but thankfully, Gofobo sent me two tickets to see a screening of this movie last night.

[spoilers ahead]

cannes film festival 2013

Ah, Cannes.

I always like to look at the list of films shown at the festival each year. Even though some of the films may not be the most critically-liked films, this festival really showcases a variety of films from around the world.

I've already seen "Behind the Candelbara" (and I loved that film), and here is a list of films that premiered/were shown at Cannes that I'm excited to see.

summer television

I've got a lot of catching up to do.  

 

Last night, as I set up my DVR to record the entire season two marathon of "Falling Skies" this Saturday, I realized that I really need to start watching shows when they air as opposed to catching up on them right before the new season starts.

Sometimes I'll catch up on my DVR when I get home from work, but usually I'm just lazy and I lay around, playing "Candy Crush" or catching up on social networking while shuffling the music on my iPod. My two days off, Tuesday's and Sunday's, usually consist of me somewhat catching up on my DVR. Most of the shows I watch are on a summer hiatus right now, so while I still have some catching up to do, I've got a few months to get caught up on those shows. (Lately, I've been recording a lot of "House Hunters International". I'm crazy addicted to that show, and I'm terribly jealous of all of those people, but that's another story.)

This is a list of shows that I'm very excited to watch this summer! (In order by premiere date.)

#favoritepictures - Japan (2008)

Shibuya

I first traveled to Japan in 2008, after I graduated high school. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay for a little under three weeks between June and July. I've mostly stayed in the Tokyo area during my three trips, but I've never left the Kanto region. 

Today, I'll be showing you some of the favorite pictures I took during my first trip to Japan.

my everyday makeup

While I love looking at makeup (and sometimes I give into temptation and buy a lot of it), there's only so much makeup I use on a regular basis. Today, I'm going to provide you pictures, descrptions, and links of makeup I regularly use!

#moviereview - The Hangover Part III

★★★★☆

Our journey with The Wolfpack has been quite and adventerous and exciting ride.

Four years ago, we were introduced to Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis). Alan, the lone wolf, adopted the three friends into his group, creating what we know as "The Wolfpack". Their adventures are wild and crazy, and the people they meet are an eccentric bunch, ranging from escorts to international criminals to InterPol agents.

[spoilers ahead]

#moviereview - Star Trek Into Darkness

★★★★☆

I do wish more films were filmed with IMAX cameras.

Yes, IMAX screens are huge and the sound is loud. So many people I know hate IMAX because the screen is so large. I had only seen a handful of films in IMAX prior to 2008, with most of them being Harry Potter films, but when I heard that "The Dark Knight" was being filmed with IMAX cameras, I was intrigued.

The quality of IMAX cameras is absolutely beautiful. The quality, both audio and video, is crystal clear. The images fill up the entire screen, leaving no black bars on the screen. I feel immersed in the movie as I watch these scenes that are filmed with IMAX cameras.

I was very happy when I heard JJ Abrams was using IMAX cameras to film "Star Trek Into Darkness". He was very happy with how the IMAX scenes in "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" turned out (he produced that film), and he loved the format.

Anyways, enough about my love of IMAX (though it will be brought up again in this review, but pertaining to those scenes in this film)...

[spoilers ahead]]

two days, two different nail polishes

Saturday night, I ventured into Ulta for the first time. I must've been in that store for at least 45 minutes, just browsing through all the aisles and looking at everything! I texted my sister and asked her if she had ever been there, and referred to it as a "beauty mecca". (She didn't know what a "mecca" was.)

I went there solely to look at OPI nail polishes. I really wanted to look at the "Oz: The Great and Powerful" collection, looking specifically for "When Monkeys Fly!" and "What Wizardry Is This?" The latter was there, but the first one was not, which disappointed me a bit, seeing as I was looking for that one more. I saw that they had "Lights of Emerald City", and because I wasn't sure how I truly felt about "When Monkeys Fly!" as a texture polish, I decided to get that one.

obtaining the cheapest airfare

China Southern Airlines, AirbusA380



I love to travel.

Finding cheaper airfare has become more and more easier for me over the years, especially if I'm looking up international airfare. Unfortunately, traveling internationally has become so expensive in recent years, due to fuel price increases, taxes, security fees, etc. Also, because of the lack of competition between air carriers - the US is soon only going to have three airlines (once American Airlines and US Airways merge) - there's no need to lower prices out of competition.

Indeed, this isn't the best news for budget travelers like myself.

I'm not going to discuss the qualms about increasing airfare. No, I'm here to show you how I find cheap airfare.

band concerts

I was ten years old when I started playing the clarinet, and I was 18 when I stopped. (In the five years since I graduated high school, I have not touched my clarinet once. I'm almost afraid to open the case.) I wasn't bad at playing, and even though I was First Chair my senior year, there was at least one person who was better than I was. (It was only because I was a Senior that I was First Chair. If this guy had been a Senior, he wouldn't have been Fourth Chair.)

Last week, my friend texted me, asking if I wanted to go with her to our band teacher's final concert. I couldn't resist. This guy was the best band teacher I had, hands down. He has been playing saxophone in the Army for 31 years now. He was probably playing that instrument longer than that! He was passionate about music, and it showed through the concerts he set up at the high school. He was a very strict teacher, and the best of us knew that you don't mess with him and you had to strive to do your best in this class.

I was fortunate enough to be in the Wind Ensemble all four years of high school. Not trying to brag or be mean, but I was better than the Concert Band. That was really a beginners band, or for those who really don't have much play time. I really enjoyed all the music I played, partially because I was in such a good band and all the sounds from the music just sounded beautiful, and also because the music really helped me grow as a musician. (I was also in Symphonic Band, and while I liked the music I played in there, the teacher wasn't the best, nor were her strings students.)

Anyways, back to last night's concert. I'm happy to say that the music played last night was amazing. I got to see three bands perform: Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Band. (That was in order of who played, and also level of talent.) Listening to last night's concert made me miss my clarinet-playing days.

Will I go out and attend symphonies now? No. They're expensive and they make me sleepy.

I'll present you with the setlist from last night, and link you to a few of my favorite selections. (I didn't record any of the songs, so selections from YouTube is what you shall be receiving.)

Setlist:

Concert Band

1. Matrix

2. The Muppet Show Theme

3. Impact

Wind Ensemble

1. Exaltation

2. Washington Post

3. American Folk Rhapsody #3

4. Gloria Estefan Greatest Hits

Jazz Band

1. That's Life

2. Sidewinder

3. Hot House

4. Angel Eyes

5. The Girl From Ipanema

6. A 5th of Beethoven

7. Manteca

8. Funkytown

And here is a picture of my dear ol' band teacher from last night:

survivor 26 recap

Ah, Survivor. Have we really just finished season 26? It feels like just a few years ago as I, a then 10-year-old, was sitting down in my living room watching "Survivor: The Australian Outback". (I didn't watch season one, "Borneo".)

I love the setup of the show - find a bunch of people and throw them into the wilderness, only giving them the basic essentials to survive. The show started out really basic: you have a "Reward Challenge" (you play for rewards), you have an "Immunity Challenge" (you play for immunity), then you have "Tribal Council" (you vote somebody out), then there's the "Final Tribal Council" (the "Jury", a handful of previously voted out contestants, votes for the winner). Like I said, it started out pretty basic.

Over the course of 26 seasons, or 13 years (the show premiered on May 31, 2000), we've seen a numerous amount of additions to the show. You've got tribe switchups ("Gabon" had two of them), "Exile Island", "Redemption Island", hidden immunity idols, the "Medallion of Power", former players returning... just to name a few.

When talking about last night's finale to my parents, I said, "This is the first really good season of Survivor since... well, last season was good, but before that, it's been a long time since there's been a good season of Survivor!" I'll admit, there have been a few seasons of Survivor that I haven't really cared about. I've always watched the show, but I know I haven't seen every episode.  I'm not a "super-fan" (like this season's winner, John Cochran), but I'm more than a casual fan.

[spoilers ahead]

my trip to Huntington, WV

I was going to write a "Survivor 26" recap today, but I have so much to talk about, and I missed the first ten minutes of last night's finale, so that probably won't be up until tomorrow or Wednesday.

Last weekend, I went to Huntington, West Virginia. I went with my sister so we could visit our grandparents. It was quick trip; we left around 5pm Thursday afternoon and got back Saturday evening. It was nice being away from Nashville and laying low, not having to worry about much.

I wanted to take more pictures, especially since the weather was perfect those days. (Once we hit Lexington, KY, though, that's when we hit nasty weather.)

community - renewed for season 5

This image is very appropriate for the past few days

[spoilers ahead]

I'll admit this: I've been very hard on Community this season. Perhaps a bit too hard at times. With the showrunners changing, cast members quitting, the constant back and forth of schedules... the show just felt different.

I still advocate this show. I fought for this show throughout all four seasons, and I love it with every fiber of my being. Like I said yesterday about "The Office", all great shows have a down moment. This show was Dan Harmon's baby, and when he's suddenly thrown out (and how he found out was, to say it bluntly, messed up) and replaced with new showrunners, old writers leaving and new ones coming in... The show, while it still had the same cast and some of the same writers/producers, again, it felt different.

This week's episode, "Advanced Introduction to Finality", was one that could have easily gone wrong. I didn't look up many spoilers for this season, so when I saw the promo for the episode, I was both intrigued and turned off. The Darkest Timeline was becoming real? The Evil Greendale Seven were going to meet The Greendale Seven? When I thought about it last week, I figured the only way this could happen is if this happened in their heads. I was relieved to find out this happened in Jeff's head. Yes, this is a show, but everything that has happened in the show, I believe it was all "real". It all makes sense within the messed up world that is Greendale, Colorado.

I remember hearing some critics were a bit harsh on the season finale, and I understand that. This has been a hard season for Community. (Honestly, the whole series has been hard for Community.) In a way, this reminded me of "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas". Yes, these were two different episodes - one was holiday themed, one really showcased a character's darkest thoughts - but both really showed us the exact thoughts of a character. We hear a lot of the group's thoughts, we've seen some flashbacks, but there have only been a few instances where we've really gotten inside of the heads of these characters. (In my currently tired state, I can only think of Abed-related instances.)

Yes, it was weird to see Jeff thinking of the Darkest Timeline. He's always gotten angry and irate whenever that timeline is mentioned, so for him to be thinking that, upon the rolling of the dice, possibly these people could show up and jeopardize their friendships and futures. This seemed more of something that perhaps Abed would be thinking, but not Jeff. Of course, with Jeff being the "main character" of the show, of course he would be the one to think of a worst-case scenario as to why his graduation would be disrupted.

I'm glad we got a fifth season. (I say "we" because the Community fandom is one big family.) I may not have been overall pleased with this season (it may take some time to truly appreciate this, as it took time for me to like some previous episodes) but I wanted the show to get another season. The first three seasons of this show were perfect, in my opinion. These showrunners and writers were thrown into a critically acclaimed, fan dominating show. I'm sure they were fans, but of course it was going to take some time to really get going, to really achieve, or get as close as they could, to what Dan's vision of the show was.

I know the fans were dominating Twitter Thursday and Friday night, with hashtags live "#LongLiveCommunity", "#CommunityNeverDies", "#PopWHAT", "#sixseasonsandamovie", among others, being very high on the US and Worldwide Trending Topics. With the constant announcements of other NBC shows being canceled or renewed, Community fans were really getting upset at a lack of anything. I'll give it to the official Community Twitter (@nbccommunity), though - either they were being optimistic, or they already knew that the show was going to be renewed. (They kept saying "season finale", as opposed to "series finale".) I know I felt a huge weight off my chest when the season five announcement was made.

What I love about the cast is how humble they are. Community isn't the most popular show, but the fans are dedicated to what they love. I'm proud to be in a community (pun intended) with such dedicated and loving people. The cast, of course, recognizes it. If it weren't for the fans, I do think the show wouldn't still be around. I've also heard stories of the cast being floored, awestruck, and just thankful to the Community fans that have approached them on the streets, conventions, etc. I could not ask for a better cast.

I was going to do a "Best of Season 4" post, but I think I'm going to save that for a later date. Of course I have some favorite moments, but I need to go back and re-watch many episodes. I'll leave you with this video:

good-bye, the office

Despite the fact that I have not been a regular viewer of the show since Michael Scott (Steve Carell) left two years ago, I am truly going to miss "The Office".

Yes, I was one of those people who, upon Steve's departure, kept saying that the show needed to end. I watched the first few episodes of season 8, and, to be honest, I've only seen half of an episode of season 9. (I watched the first half of the 18th episode, "Promos". I do plan on watching the previous two episodes, and of course the retrospective special and the finale next week.) The show had run it's course by that point. Yes, it was interesting to see how Dunder Mifflin (technically "Sabre", but calling DM "Sabre" is like calling the Sears Tower in Chicago the "Willis Tower"; it's not going to happen) would be ran with a new boss.

I don't want to cloud this post with negative opinions, mostly of the last two seasons, of "The Office". Every great show has their slow moments. I have so, so many fond memories of this show. So many memorable moments have happened in this show, and some of my favorite TV moments are from this show.

So, today I'm presenting you a list of my top 5 favorite episodes of "The Office".

#recipe - baked shrimp

I've been trying to use up some of the foods that have been in my freezer for a couple of months now. I've been trying to eat healthier as well, and was happy to find I still had some medium-sized shrimp in my freezer.

I also wanted to try something other than frying it. Fried foods aren't healthy, and I've been eating too much greasy foods lately. I figured I could bake shrimp, but I went ahead and did a Google search on it anyway. There are plenty of baking recipes, thankfully. Let me tell you, this shrimp turned out deliciously!

I will share the recipe for you: