Jodi

I “met” Jodi back in the summer/fall of 1999. I got pregnant in June of 1999 and decided to go online to look up info about babies and pregnancy and all that jazz. I was still new to the Internet at that time. We didn’t have good access to it at work but we did have it at home. This was after my (now) ex-husband moved in with me but before we were married. He had a laptop and I used to sit on the couch just roaming sites. I stumbled across babycenter.com. I was checking out the site and found out that you could join a “group” based on whatever criteria you thought you fit. I found one called March Early Birds (I think that’s what it was called. It was so long ago, I can’t be certain) and I joined that group. There were quite a few women in that group and we all became friendly. As time went on, we quickly discovered that we wanted to move the group away from babycenter and to our own group on Yahoo. We moved the group and just renamed it the “Early Birds” since about half of us ended up delivering in February and half ended up delivering in March.

Jodi was a member of the original group and followed over to the new one as well. There were over 30 of us at one point that all contributed on a daily, almost hourly basis. Over the years, we’ve eventually dropped down to about 10 or 11 now.

Several of us have met but most of us have not.

Several of us have started our own blogs. Jodi is one of them.

You can catch both of her blogs over on the right site. She’s known as blog-o-licious and teev-o-licious.

I haven’t met Jodi in real life yet….but can’t wait til the day when both of us are at Disney World at the same time so we can! Or if I win the lottery and find my way up to Regina!

Anyway, I love Jodi’s blog. The main reason is because I get to keep up with her life this way. She’s also a good writer and very witty. I love reading about the different customs, politics and sports (curling, anyone?!?!?!?) Canada has.

I can feel her excitement when she talks about her boys’ hockey accomplishments and her heartache when she talks about Avery’s seizures.

Jodi and I also have a lot in common when it comes to TV. We both like almost all the same shows and feel the same way about the characters or in the case of reality shows, the contestants.

If you get a chance, check out her blogs.

Later,

Mama Dawg

I Heart Rigs

I love Tim Riggins. I mean, LOVE….scratch that, maybe I should say LUST.

That boy is gorgeous.

In case you have no clue who I’m talking about, just go to http://www.nbc.com/ and check him out under Friday Night Lights.

He’s a character on this phenomenal show.

If you have not seen it, RUN, don’t walk to your nearest Wal-Mart store. They have the first season on DVD for $19.99 plus additional scenes on a separate DVD for $5.

My friend Jodi has been watching this show and has talked about it on her own blog. (Thanks Jodi, for mentioning this repeatedly on your blogs as it reminded me to not only get the DVD’s but to watch them….you also inspired me to try out “Dexter” now that it’s on the local channels on Sunday nights…..I love this show).

I have the movie on DVD. I bought it before the show was on the air. I got it for a few reasons:

1. It’s about football.
2. It starred Billy Bob Thornton
3. It was directed by Peter Berg

I love all three of those things. I should have put Peter Berg first since he’s the real reason I bought the movie. I adore Peter Berg.

Anyway, when I heard they were making a TV show out of this movie (and book), I knew I had to watch it.

When I found out that Kyle Chandler was starring as Coach Taylor…..it was a must see. I’ve loved Kyle Chandler since Homefront. Remember that show? It was set in WWII days? He was so beautiful then and is even more so now.

Then, I found out that it was coming on opposite of a show that I watched. I forget what it was now. They’ve moved this show around a couple of times. I chose to watch the established show instead of catching this one. Then they moved it again and I still couldn’t watch it.

By now, I had missed the whole first season. I never even started watching the second season due to other things happening (moving, trying to get settled, football games, etc…).

I finally bought the DVD’s at Wal-Mart and just started watching it last week.

The first episode was….I don’t have the words. This show is so real. The reactions that the actors have, the camera work, the average-ness of the people. I can’t even begin to tell you about the first episode. It would take 10 pages just to describe it.

The actors are well chosen (except for Minka Kelly as Lyla….she sucks). The actors are able to portray so much with just a look or just a few actions. The complexities of the characters are what make this so rich. I know people like this. For anybody living in a small football town, you can “see” a real person you know in each of these characters.

Coach Taylor has this enormous weight on his shoulders. It’s not just about winning games for the sake of winning games. The town EXPECTS him to win games and to take the “boys” to State. The Mayor herself gives the football players and the coaches’ advice and veiled threats of what would happen if they don’t win. This coach is hit from every angle by people who have advice and ideas and threats. How he keeps from hitting everyone that comes up to him, I don’t know.

Matt Sarencen is so understated but spot on as the nervous and socially awkward new QB1. You can actually see him grow in each episode.

Tim Riggins can take control of a whole scene with just one look.

Just as an example of the realism in this show. There’s one scene in an episode where he’s in the kitchen talking with his brother and they’re getting pissed at each other. He’s standing up eating something and starts talking with his mouth full. In most TV shows, they want you to be able to speak your words so the viewing audience can catch every one. Here, they show what people all over the world do every day. Talking with their mouth full. I know that’s corny and that’s it’s really small, but it’s just one example of the details they put into this show.

Peter Berg nailed this show.

I now watch 3-4 episodes a NIGHT. After light of my life goes to sleep. Which is at 9 pm. This means I’m up til about 1 am every night watching this show.

Needless to say, I’m exhausted.

But it’s so worth it.

Go to http://www.tvguide.com/ to find out what you can do to save this show.

It’s endangered because of some idiots in upper management of NBC.

Don’t get rid of my Coach Taylor or Tim Riggins. I don’t know what I’ll do.

If there is going to be a third season, you better believe it will be a priority show for me.

Check it out. You won’t be sorry, I promise.

Later,

Mama Dawg

Fun New Year Thingie

Found this on both Jodi and Tracey's blog. Thought I'd try it out.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before? Quit my job with nothing to fall back on, moved without any guarantees of anything. I'm sure there's some more little things, but that's the big ones.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?I don't make 'em. I can never keep 'em.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?Yep, J had baby M. Beautiful, gorgeous, fat baby M with the astonishingly beautiful blue eyes.

4. Did anyone close to you die?Yes, my great aunt. Light of my life took it hard.

5. What countries did you visit?Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Japan, France, the UK and Canada. I had a busy year. Of course, all that was in a 2 day period and it happened in Epcot, but dammit, it should count!!!!!!

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? Money, money, money. Did I mention money?

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 21st (last day at secure job), August 4th (day we moved to temporary home), October 6th (day we moved into our permanent home), October 8th (day I started my new secure job).

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?- Surviving the year. Period.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not saving enough money.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yep, cut my foot (bad enough to leave a large scar on the bottom) on a barnacle 2 weeks before our Disney trip.

11. What was the best thing you bought? The hamster.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Light of my life's, hands down. She held up so well with the move. I am sooooooooooo proud of her. We left the only home she's ever known and she did it with grace and good will.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Hmmm......nobody personally.

14. Where did most of your money go? It went towards that little thing called Every Day Life.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My Disney trip. Can't wait to go back in 2009.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007? To play off Jodi's answer, not because I like it, but that Fergie song....Big Girls Don't Cry. To me, that was OVERPLAYED.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Same.
c) richer or poorer? poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Spent more time with light of my life. That's slowly changing though.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Work!

20. How did you spend Christmas? With family and friends. It was a very low-key, laid-back holiday season. Just how I like it.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Nope. Who has time for that?

22. What was your favorite TV program? Heroes, Survivor, Amazing Race, How I Met Your Mother

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Nope.

24. What was the best book you read? Ahhhhhhh, so many. I read Disney War (about Michael Eisner's reign), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the first two prequels to Peter Pan (Peter and the Star Catchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves) written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. I read a ton more, but these stand out. Also, Devil in the White City.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? tons of stuff on Perez Hilton's website. He finds the coolest music. My fav by far that I found on the radio was Sean Kingston.

26. What did you want and get? a tripod for my camera

27. What did you want and not get? a new camera

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Pan's Labyrinth and Sweeney Todd

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I had a wonderful party with great Mexican food and margaritas. It was my 30th. Lots of friends attended and it was a blast.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Moving sooner.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Casual, as usual.

32. What kept you sane? Light of my life. She occasionally added to the insanity, but for the most part kept me grounded.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Milo Ventiglimia.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? None. I avoid politics like the plague.

35. Who did you miss? R & family, K, V & C from the place I just moved from.

36. Who was the best new person you met? B & L and their offspring. They're incredible.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. It's OK to take risks. Sometimes they pay off.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. I can't think of any.