fearlesstemp (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fearlesstemp) wrote2006-12-03 02:31 am
fearlesstemp) wrote2006-12-03 02:31 am
Entry tags:
gratitude
Lately I've been trying to talk myself into being more forgiving of the things I go to for entertainment, things like movies, TV, books. I don't think I tend to be hyper-critical (if so, how could I still be half-watching ABC Daytime?), but I do sometimes get caught up on the one flaw rather than the ten wonderful things that came before. Lately I've been thinking about Oprah's Gratitude Journal, which she talked about once on a show in, like, 1997, but which has stuck with me since to the point that every six months or so I end up with a Memo notebook next to my bed with random lists like, "1. Cream cheese. 2. My family. 3. The fact that my car passed inspection."
In that same vein, a few media-related things I am grateful for.
1. I am grateful for Mariah Carey because she wrote and performed my very favorite modern Christmas song, All I Want for Chirstmas Is You. The great thing about this song is how it starts, slowly and in a low enough range that you can feel kind of confident singing along in the car, so that by the time she starts really belting it out, you kinda sorta believe that you and Mariah are singing this TOGETHER, that you can DO THIS, and so you find yourself bopping around in the driver's seat, pointing a finger at the imaginary audience. It's awesome.
2. I am grateful to NBC for giving both Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock full season orders, especially in light of Thursday night's episode of 30 Rock, in which Jack Donaghy asks Liz Lemon, "Do you know why Jack Welch is the greatest leader since the pharaohs?" I once was trapped in an endless conversation with my stock broker uncle about Jack Welch, and I swear I saw my uncle's devotion in Alec Baldwin's eyes when he delivered the line. It was one of those perfect jokes that got funnier as time passed, to the point that I found myself laughing at it at odd moments all day Friday, and then tonight I actually inflicted it on a random friend who had never watched 30 Rock or met my stock broker uncle or had any reason to find the joke funny. Still, she laughed!
3. I am grateful for Scrubs because without that show, we would have neither Turk performing Poison or the Sacred Heart Air Band. Regular viewing of these clips is essential to my mental health.
4. I am grateful for the Bourne movies, because they are awesome and perfect comfort movies for me. Also, Matt Damon!
5. I am grateful to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jeviltwin for introducing me to Carla Kelly earlier this year, which started me on a romance novel binge I've been indulging on and off for the last several months. I haven't found any other author to match Carla Kelly; I've read ten or so of her books and have only found one stinker. The rest all varied from lovely and charming to INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL, the kinds of books you sneak into work and read when no one's looking because you just can't bear to go another minute without knowing what happens, because the characters are so wonderful and you care about their happiness so much, and! Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention this! She has a new book coming out next spring! YAY!
6. I am grateful that the people slowly re-releasing Georgette Heyer's books chose Venetia as their latest one, because I had already spent too much money buying used copies of Heyer novels online, and the only copy I could track down to read was from the library and therefore couldn't be mine forever. And I wanted a copy of Venetia that could be mine forever! And now I have it. And I am happy.
I wanted there to be more, but I have to go to bed because I signed up for this stupid volunteer thing tomorrow. Stupid self of earlier this week, who couldn't think of an excuse quickly enough when asked! Stupid self in general, incapable of simply telling people that I want a Sunday just to myself! Stupidity all around!
In that same vein, a few media-related things I am grateful for.
1. I am grateful for Mariah Carey because she wrote and performed my very favorite modern Christmas song, All I Want for Chirstmas Is You. The great thing about this song is how it starts, slowly and in a low enough range that you can feel kind of confident singing along in the car, so that by the time she starts really belting it out, you kinda sorta believe that you and Mariah are singing this TOGETHER, that you can DO THIS, and so you find yourself bopping around in the driver's seat, pointing a finger at the imaginary audience. It's awesome.
2. I am grateful to NBC for giving both Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock full season orders, especially in light of Thursday night's episode of 30 Rock, in which Jack Donaghy asks Liz Lemon, "Do you know why Jack Welch is the greatest leader since the pharaohs?" I once was trapped in an endless conversation with my stock broker uncle about Jack Welch, and I swear I saw my uncle's devotion in Alec Baldwin's eyes when he delivered the line. It was one of those perfect jokes that got funnier as time passed, to the point that I found myself laughing at it at odd moments all day Friday, and then tonight I actually inflicted it on a random friend who had never watched 30 Rock or met my stock broker uncle or had any reason to find the joke funny. Still, she laughed!
3. I am grateful for Scrubs because without that show, we would have neither Turk performing Poison or the Sacred Heart Air Band. Regular viewing of these clips is essential to my mental health.
4. I am grateful for the Bourne movies, because they are awesome and perfect comfort movies for me. Also, Matt Damon!
5. I am grateful to
jeviltwin for introducing me to Carla Kelly earlier this year, which started me on a romance novel binge I've been indulging on and off for the last several months. I haven't found any other author to match Carla Kelly; I've read ten or so of her books and have only found one stinker. The rest all varied from lovely and charming to INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL, the kinds of books you sneak into work and read when no one's looking because you just can't bear to go another minute without knowing what happens, because the characters are so wonderful and you care about their happiness so much, and! Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention this! She has a new book coming out next spring! YAY!6. I am grateful that the people slowly re-releasing Georgette Heyer's books chose Venetia as their latest one, because I had already spent too much money buying used copies of Heyer novels online, and the only copy I could track down to read was from the library and therefore couldn't be mine forever. And I wanted a copy of Venetia that could be mine forever! And now I have it. And I am happy.
I wanted there to be more, but I have to go to bed because I signed up for this stupid volunteer thing tomorrow. Stupid self of earlier this week, who couldn't think of an excuse quickly enough when asked! Stupid self in general, incapable of simply telling people that I want a Sunday just to myself! Stupidity all around!
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(You might also like Jo Beverley's Regencies (especially her earlier ones - I find her later books a bit... rushed?)
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And thank you for the author suggestion! I haven't read any Jo Beverley books yet, I'll definitely look for some of her earlier stuff.
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http://romancereaderatheart.com/regency/BensBi.html
JoBev is partway down the page. My faves are: Arranged Marriage (first of the Company of Rogues series); Deirdre and Don Juan; Emily and the Dark Angel (with my favorite minor character of all time, Kevin Renfrew, the Daffodil Dandy); Stolen Bride; Unwilling Bride.
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