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Do you live in the house or the garden?
It feels like I haven't done a normal entry in forever, but in reality it's only been since Tuesday. Still. Now I have a bunch of stuff piled up to talk about.
Cue randomness:
-Current is doing a three-part series titled "50 Documentaries To See Before You Die," and I've been enjoying it. I love documentaries, and while I've already seen quite a few on their list, there's some I've never even heard of. I think, if possible, I'd like to make it a goal to watch the rest on the list.
-On a similar note, I watched a couple docs on hulu.com today (Motherland and Children of god), which were both really moving, Motherland in particular. It's about a group of mothers who've lost a child (and one sister who lost a brother), none of whom know each other, making a trip to South Africa together to volunteer amongst those affected by AIDS, poverty, etc. They spend a lot of time with children--some whose parents have already died or are going to--and I spent a lot of time tearing up, ngl. This little girl started crying when one of the mothers pointed at a page of facial expressions & asked which one she felt like, and I was like, "OKAY. TISSUES. GONNA NEED 'EM." I just wanted to hug these kids so badly.
The second doc followed kids living & begging on the streets outside the crematorium in Kathmandu (Nepal). It's mainly centered around a 12 year old boy who plans to be dead by 13, his older brother who's not really around, his very young sister (whom he's basically raising), and his alcoholic/damn near useless mother. I thought it'd be a pretty unique story, because of the element of kids living outside (and relying on -- they eat & make money by scavenging food & coins left in the river for the dead) a crematorium, but between the kids rapping & the universal nature of addiction, it ended up being extremely relatable. I only wish I could find out how the kids were doing later & especially whether the 12 year old ended up all right. That's one of the best things about the series I mentioned above -- the host periodically does interviews with former doc subjects throughout the ep, updating you on where they are now, etc.
-So You Think You Can Dance had its finale this week. After much hand-wringing, I voted for Sasha, though I also think Melanie earned it.
Let's start with the finale:
1. WTF was up with the Glee commercial. First G-Series, now Glee? I can stand product placement to some degree, but seriously. So annoying.
2. ENOUGH WITH THE CELEBRITY JUDGES, ALREADY. This should probably go under my thoughts re: the season overall, but it especially bugged for the finale. I don't care which dance was Pussycat Lady's favorite, okay?
3. Too many group numbers, and too many unimpressive picks in general, especially since a couple of them were literally just taped versions of what WE ALREADY SAW. I can't believe they didn't bring back the vulture routine or the Coming Home dance.
4. The whole Mary/Nigel thing confuses me. I don't really get what they're trying to do, there. It's weird.
5. That being said, Cat was out of control levels of adorable, as usual, and I continue to love her obvious bestie status with Mary. Heh.
The season, overall:
1. I think, if possible, Cat has gotten even cuter & wackier this year. Definitely a plus.
2. Too many props & recycled moves. Still miss the old stage.
3. A bit too much tongue-bathing at times. This wasn't helped by having celebrity judges, imo. They love everything. Especially if they're Katie Holmes.
4. Mary is calmer these days. This saddens me. BRING BACK THE WHISTLE.
5. On a positive note, there were quite a few gorgeous pieces this season. I still wish Patty had made it to the top 20, though. I felt hip hop this year was a little lacking. There were a couple great lyrical hip hop dances, but nothing stood out that really felt HIP HOP to me. If that makes sense.
I feel like I'm being more critical than usual, here, but meh. I'm used to the result finales filling me up with joy (that's what she said)--they're always such a *celebration*--and this one underwhelmed. So, yeah.
All that being said, there was some great dancing this year, absolutely. And since I haven't shared faves from this season in a while, here's a few from the last couple weeks that I enjoyed:
What did I say about guys dancing in suits? Also: both he & Lauren look super fierce, here. Love the strut.
Fantabulous. Great music choice, too.
That lift at 00:35!
When I first saw this dance, it didn't really make an impression, aside from the song--probably because I was just in a pissy mood that night & wasn't liking anything--but I felt much more touched by it in the finale. I like that they changed the lighting at the end too.
This dance (and the one with Kent, above) was pretty much what pushed me over the edge into voting for Sasha. That, and I literally counted who had more of my fave dances from throughout the season. Heh.
-My hayfever allergies have been CRAZY the last few days. I mean, miserable, utterly. So much so that I was like, "Whaaaat is going on? Did the pollen count just explode or something?" And to a degree, yes, it did; weather.com lists the weed pollen count in my zip code as high, which makes sense since it's late summer, and that's when ragweed does its thing. Then I thought about the chamomile supplement my doctor gave me, realized it's also from the ragweed family, and immediately became annoyed because HELLO, why would you give that to me when I'm allergic to it. Damn't. Like, I think I'm usually okay if I take a few sips of chamomile tea or whatever, but taking it in capsule form is something else entirely. ANNOYING.
-I didn't want to be one of Those People, gullibly following whatever they're told without second thought, so I've been trying to learn more about the test they did for my food sensitivities. Especially because the change is stressing me OUT, I'll admit. The thing is, it's not actually that hard to eliminate gluten from your diet from what I've seen--though I haven't found a decent tasting bread yet--but when you add corn, soy, eggs, chicken, and yeast to the mix? OMFG. Ridiculously hard. That shit is in EVERYTHING, even stuff that's supposed to be for sensitive people & vegans & what-not. Like, case in point: I buy a bag of pretzels that specifically says on the front: ~gluten free, wheat free, milk free, soy free, egg free!~ So, you'd think it'd be good to go, right? NO. Corn starch, bitches. Second ingredient. See what I mean?
Anyway, so, from what I've read, the test is a good indicator, and it is the first step for Celiac testing (the next step would be a biopsy), so that's all good; however, not every lab holds to the same standards for results or differentiates between the types of IgG responses/takes into consideration the immune response to pesticides on foods/etc. One lab might tell you to avoid things on the low list, while another wouldn't, and another wouldn't even consider something low to begin with -- they might consider it insignificant. So, basically, here's where I think I stand right now: I still want to go all in when it comes to the gluten/wheat free diet (something has to change, that's not in question. I not only threw up on Wednesday, before changing my foods, but I woke up the next morning ALREADY throwing up on my sheet. As in, in my sleep, then went into a horrible coughing fit from the acid in my throat. Talk about a rude awakening), but I'm not gonna obsess about the rest. I mean, at least not right away, like overnight I have to be perfect & avoid ALL of them. It's just too fucking hard. I'd rather do gluten & wheat free first, see how it feels, get used to making & eating different things & fitting it in my budget & making sure I'm factoring in enough protein etc, and then try the others in stages. Otherwise, I can see myself failing, hard. It's not because I want to pussy out & half-ass this. I'm just being realistic. We're talking about nutrition, here. Not even, "hey, I'm going to quit chocolate, which is something I don't need anyway." Know what I mean? I want to do this in a way that doesn't leave me suddenly broke, lightheaded from not eating enough, or even more vitamin-deficient than I already am. So, we'll just see. I'm going to do the best I can. As it is, I feel pretty good about the fact that I've avoided gluten & wheat entirely since Tuesday. When I got a pizza, I got it gluten-free, and I ordered pesto sauce instead of tomato (b/c of my acid reflux), and for the record it was delicious. Like, O-face delicious. And considering it also had spinach on it, which, when combined with the pesto, would've been something I probably never would've tried on my pizza years ago (when I say I'm a picky eater now? You have no idea how picky I was when I was younger. My first strawberry was at 19. 'Nuff said), I think that's progress.
I also got myself a blender, that way I can learn how to make protein & fruit smoothies for myself:
It's silver! I like it. Haven't used it yet, though, because I need to walk up to Whole Foods (it's about to get real in the Whole Foods parking lot! Heh) & buy crap -- they have a better selection for raw ingredients than my two normal grocery stores. I am actually looking forward to trying some stuff out with it, and I'm also curious about recipes for quinoa. I've eaten it before, and it was bland as hell, but I'm assuming there are more tasty ways to prepare it. It's supposed to have a great amount of protein & other good stuff, and it's recommended for migraine sufferers because of the magnesium. So, that should be interesting to try out.
-I cancelled my counseling appointment today, because I felt awful (physically); I straight-up could not stop sneezing/blowing my nose, and it would've been embarassing on the bus. I'm also feeling a little stressed about so much spending, between the $30 for the doctor's appointment & the $40 for the blender & changing my food budget etc, so that played a role too. My rent is going up next month, & I have a follow-up appt with that doctor, and yeah. I just don't want to blow my cash all at once, however good it might be to do. I'll feel less stressed about it if I wait a bit longer & stagger the spending out.
-Remember how I was supposed to get together with that friend a week ago? Yeah, apparently she forgot or IDEK (I'm talking after she forgot & said so, the second time. She was all, "How about next week?",then never got back to me). People are so flaky.
Anyway, I think that's more than enough for one entry. For my Vid of the Day, have some Jeff/Britta action by xbucketx.
Cue randomness:
-Current is doing a three-part series titled "50 Documentaries To See Before You Die," and I've been enjoying it. I love documentaries, and while I've already seen quite a few on their list, there's some I've never even heard of. I think, if possible, I'd like to make it a goal to watch the rest on the list.
-On a similar note, I watched a couple docs on hulu.com today (Motherland and Children of god), which were both really moving, Motherland in particular. It's about a group of mothers who've lost a child (and one sister who lost a brother), none of whom know each other, making a trip to South Africa together to volunteer amongst those affected by AIDS, poverty, etc. They spend a lot of time with children--some whose parents have already died or are going to--and I spent a lot of time tearing up, ngl. This little girl started crying when one of the mothers pointed at a page of facial expressions & asked which one she felt like, and I was like, "OKAY. TISSUES. GONNA NEED 'EM." I just wanted to hug these kids so badly.
The second doc followed kids living & begging on the streets outside the crematorium in Kathmandu (Nepal). It's mainly centered around a 12 year old boy who plans to be dead by 13, his older brother who's not really around, his very young sister (whom he's basically raising), and his alcoholic/damn near useless mother. I thought it'd be a pretty unique story, because of the element of kids living outside (and relying on -- they eat & make money by scavenging food & coins left in the river for the dead) a crematorium, but between the kids rapping & the universal nature of addiction, it ended up being extremely relatable. I only wish I could find out how the kids were doing later & especially whether the 12 year old ended up all right. That's one of the best things about the series I mentioned above -- the host periodically does interviews with former doc subjects throughout the ep, updating you on where they are now, etc.
-So You Think You Can Dance had its finale this week. After much hand-wringing, I voted for Sasha, though I also think Melanie earned it.
Let's start with the finale:
1. WTF was up with the Glee commercial. First G-Series, now Glee? I can stand product placement to some degree, but seriously. So annoying.
2. ENOUGH WITH THE CELEBRITY JUDGES, ALREADY. This should probably go under my thoughts re: the season overall, but it especially bugged for the finale. I don't care which dance was Pussycat Lady's favorite, okay?
3. Too many group numbers, and too many unimpressive picks in general, especially since a couple of them were literally just taped versions of what WE ALREADY SAW. I can't believe they didn't bring back the vulture routine or the Coming Home dance.
4. The whole Mary/Nigel thing confuses me. I don't really get what they're trying to do, there. It's weird.
5. That being said, Cat was out of control levels of adorable, as usual, and I continue to love her obvious bestie status with Mary. Heh.
The season, overall:
1. I think, if possible, Cat has gotten even cuter & wackier this year. Definitely a plus.
2. Too many props & recycled moves. Still miss the old stage.
3. A bit too much tongue-bathing at times. This wasn't helped by having celebrity judges, imo. They love everything. Especially if they're Katie Holmes.
4. Mary is calmer these days. This saddens me. BRING BACK THE WHISTLE.
5. On a positive note, there were quite a few gorgeous pieces this season. I still wish Patty had made it to the top 20, though. I felt hip hop this year was a little lacking. There were a couple great lyrical hip hop dances, but nothing stood out that really felt HIP HOP to me. If that makes sense.
I feel like I'm being more critical than usual, here, but meh. I'm used to the result finales filling me up with joy (that's what she said)--they're always such a *celebration*--and this one underwhelmed. So, yeah.
All that being said, there was some great dancing this year, absolutely. And since I haven't shared faves from this season in a while, here's a few from the last couple weeks that I enjoyed:
What did I say about guys dancing in suits? Also: both he & Lauren look super fierce, here. Love the strut.
Fantabulous. Great music choice, too.
That lift at 00:35!
When I first saw this dance, it didn't really make an impression, aside from the song--probably because I was just in a pissy mood that night & wasn't liking anything--but I felt much more touched by it in the finale. I like that they changed the lighting at the end too.
This dance (and the one with Kent, above) was pretty much what pushed me over the edge into voting for Sasha. That, and I literally counted who had more of my fave dances from throughout the season. Heh.
-My hayfever allergies have been CRAZY the last few days. I mean, miserable, utterly. So much so that I was like, "Whaaaat is going on? Did the pollen count just explode or something?" And to a degree, yes, it did; weather.com lists the weed pollen count in my zip code as high, which makes sense since it's late summer, and that's when ragweed does its thing. Then I thought about the chamomile supplement my doctor gave me, realized it's also from the ragweed family, and immediately became annoyed because HELLO, why would you give that to me when I'm allergic to it. Damn't. Like, I think I'm usually okay if I take a few sips of chamomile tea or whatever, but taking it in capsule form is something else entirely. ANNOYING.
-I didn't want to be one of Those People, gullibly following whatever they're told without second thought, so I've been trying to learn more about the test they did for my food sensitivities. Especially because the change is stressing me OUT, I'll admit. The thing is, it's not actually that hard to eliminate gluten from your diet from what I've seen--though I haven't found a decent tasting bread yet--but when you add corn, soy, eggs, chicken, and yeast to the mix? OMFG. Ridiculously hard. That shit is in EVERYTHING, even stuff that's supposed to be for sensitive people & vegans & what-not. Like, case in point: I buy a bag of pretzels that specifically says on the front: ~gluten free, wheat free, milk free, soy free, egg free!~ So, you'd think it'd be good to go, right? NO. Corn starch, bitches. Second ingredient. See what I mean?
Anyway, so, from what I've read, the test is a good indicator, and it is the first step for Celiac testing (the next step would be a biopsy), so that's all good; however, not every lab holds to the same standards for results or differentiates between the types of IgG responses/takes into consideration the immune response to pesticides on foods/etc. One lab might tell you to avoid things on the low list, while another wouldn't, and another wouldn't even consider something low to begin with -- they might consider it insignificant. So, basically, here's where I think I stand right now: I still want to go all in when it comes to the gluten/wheat free diet (something has to change, that's not in question. I not only threw up on Wednesday, before changing my foods, but I woke up the next morning ALREADY throwing up on my sheet. As in, in my sleep, then went into a horrible coughing fit from the acid in my throat. Talk about a rude awakening), but I'm not gonna obsess about the rest. I mean, at least not right away, like overnight I have to be perfect & avoid ALL of them. It's just too fucking hard. I'd rather do gluten & wheat free first, see how it feels, get used to making & eating different things & fitting it in my budget & making sure I'm factoring in enough protein etc, and then try the others in stages. Otherwise, I can see myself failing, hard. It's not because I want to pussy out & half-ass this. I'm just being realistic. We're talking about nutrition, here. Not even, "hey, I'm going to quit chocolate, which is something I don't need anyway." Know what I mean? I want to do this in a way that doesn't leave me suddenly broke, lightheaded from not eating enough, or even more vitamin-deficient than I already am. So, we'll just see. I'm going to do the best I can. As it is, I feel pretty good about the fact that I've avoided gluten & wheat entirely since Tuesday. When I got a pizza, I got it gluten-free, and I ordered pesto sauce instead of tomato (b/c of my acid reflux), and for the record it was delicious. Like, O-face delicious. And considering it also had spinach on it, which, when combined with the pesto, would've been something I probably never would've tried on my pizza years ago (when I say I'm a picky eater now? You have no idea how picky I was when I was younger. My first strawberry was at 19. 'Nuff said), I think that's progress.
I also got myself a blender, that way I can learn how to make protein & fruit smoothies for myself:
It's silver! I like it. Haven't used it yet, though, because I need to walk up to Whole Foods (it's about to get real in the Whole Foods parking lot! Heh) & buy crap -- they have a better selection for raw ingredients than my two normal grocery stores. I am actually looking forward to trying some stuff out with it, and I'm also curious about recipes for quinoa. I've eaten it before, and it was bland as hell, but I'm assuming there are more tasty ways to prepare it. It's supposed to have a great amount of protein & other good stuff, and it's recommended for migraine sufferers because of the magnesium. So, that should be interesting to try out.
-I cancelled my counseling appointment today, because I felt awful (physically); I straight-up could not stop sneezing/blowing my nose, and it would've been embarassing on the bus. I'm also feeling a little stressed about so much spending, between the $30 for the doctor's appointment & the $40 for the blender & changing my food budget etc, so that played a role too. My rent is going up next month, & I have a follow-up appt with that doctor, and yeah. I just don't want to blow my cash all at once, however good it might be to do. I'll feel less stressed about it if I wait a bit longer & stagger the spending out.
-Remember how I was supposed to get together with that friend a week ago? Yeah, apparently she forgot or IDEK (I'm talking after she forgot & said so, the second time. She was all, "How about next week?",then never got back to me). People are so flaky.
Anyway, I think that's more than enough for one entry. For my Vid of the Day, have some Jeff/Britta action by xbucketx.