Okay - how many posts have revolved around Arrested Development? It took the years of anxiety as we waited for the rebirth of the series on Netflix and it finally premiered this summer. Rather than do the binge route, I rationed them out an episode at a time due to my busy schedule.
I thought it ingenious; the ploy to overlap each episode over the course of the last 6 years with each one from a different characters perspective. The first few demanded patience as the bold premise unveiled itself and moments from one would enlighten another family member when revealed from a different camera angle. Once you bought the idea, it suggested brilliance among the writing team. All the regular tics were there. EVERY character re-emerged with even more baggage and laughs. New roles made for a complex web. (Isla Fisher, Tommy Tune, Ron Howard himself.) And not being restricted by the boundaries of network TV of Fox - buttons were pushed to the max. (Methadone addicts, sex predators, US Drone pilots....)
Foolish me to think that once I reached the end, everything would be tied up with a pretty little bow. Ouch! Netflix is making sure their rapt audience will be returning for more shenanigans, whether on the small or big screen. Is Liza dead or has she just disappeared? And who killed her? Is Gob really finding his new gay identify or is he just floundering in a mid-life crisis? Who was injured in the explosion on the docks? My oh my!
Today felt like the first real day of summer break today. A bit of spare time on my hands to enjoy it. Sunshine and a cool breeze. Leisure time with Waylon playing again in the mighty Mississippi. A haircut, a nap. Feeling pretty good. And a quiet evening in my own backyard with a fire in the firepit, s'mores and some cold ice cream. Dog days of summer.
Another amusing posting from a BuzzFeed photo list. This one from the hands of artists Danny Evans who did some wizardry with Photo Shop at the expense of some high powered celebs. It shows what they might have looked like without the assistance of lipo, botox, a personal trainer or merely the budget to live well beyond their normal means. Pretty funny stuff and it will maybe make you feel a bit better about yourself the next time you look in the mirror and are not totally satisfied with what you see.
Blogging means different things to many people. For some it is a chance to purge inner demons and throw karma out into cyber space. For others it is a chance to share and connect. For me, it is usually more random and trivial. I enjoy tidbits and think of this journal as a virtual postcard of things that I stumble upon in my daily life - like a museum, a sunset or an exotic flower that I would photograph on a trip. It is my way of sharing with others if they happen to take a bit of time to peruse it. Or not.
But this post is a bit out of character for me. A personal scream of sorts. Life has been a stressful hand this summer. For those few that I have been fortunate to have a spare minute or two with, this is old news to you. Summer is usually a time for re-energizing, but that has been far from the case this year. If I had more perspective I could say job stress, physical exhaustion at times, maybe a need for a change of scenery.But if I had the answer, I could begin to offset it. Lately I feel like hurling my slow laptop at the wall or slamming in the back fender of the impossibly slow driver in front of me. Although I am well aware of my irritable state, last night it reared its head in an evil way. If I had a top to blow - you would have seen my mental health in shreds on the pavement.
It was to begin with a harmless trip to the grocery store for butter and soap. But it turned into an escapade of tearing the house apart to find a missing set of car keys - almost literally. I knew I had let myself into the house, so logic was beside me as to where they could be. There is the hook right by the front door where habit has them 364 days of the year. After a good hour I found them 2 feet away next to Waylon's dog leash. No clue why. Then on arriving at the store, I found that I brought a phone, but no credit card which would do me no good in the check out lane. Back home again - where of course nothing turned up. I am a practical person and retraced every step from pants pockets to bathroom counters. Apparently I had left it in the receipt holder at Famous Dave's the night before. Absent minded or insane - I am not sure why. But a phone call reassured me that it was there - if I had remembered to bring my ID along in my wallet to identify myself. Yet another trip home. A simple task became a fiasco of epic proportions. Even a day later, I am still not sure if should laugh at the folly of it all. Joey obviously needs to get a grip on his life!
This has been circulating the last few days on media. But I find it fascinating that the secret has been held captive for these 60+ years.
It is the City Hall Southern Terminus of the Manhattan Main Line. Cut glass windows, brass trim and gorgeous light fixtures. It was where the trains ended their route and then turned around after releasing the passengers. But it was closed in 1945 and these same passengers were made to transfer to the Brooklyn Bridge stop. The reason being as traffic increased and subway trains became longer - it got to be too dangerous and cumbersome for passenger safety during these turn-arounds. There were plans to turn the amazing stop into a transit museum, but they never materialized.
Recently, passengers of the 6 train are now able to remain on the cars while the train makes its way to the reversal. Although no one can exit the cars - it is still visible in all its original glory. This is definitely at the top of my To-Do list on the next trip in the city. Amazing history.
Continuing with another BuzzFeed photo list. Seems I have little to say these last few days. (And these links are addicting and curious.) This one collects some of the scariest looking dolls you can imagine. For those that have a clown phobia - this would be right alongside. Possibly a theme for Season 4 of American Horror Story. Bwah!!!!
BuzzFeed - Creepy Dolls
