Sci-Fi Hoedown: Dr. Who Season 1

Since I started watching Torchwood, and realized it was a spin-off of the new Dr. Who reincarnation, I decided to start watching Dr. Who as well.



This is the 9th Doctor, portrayed by Christopher Eccleston, who I find endearingly hot.  Does that make sense?  He is so dorky with his big ears and big nose and I loved him as the Doctor.  I loved hearing "FANTASTIC!" all the time on the show.   This is also Billie Piper who plays Rose Tyler; she of the overbite, slightly annoying accent (what is it called; cockney?) and WAY too much mascara.  I'm serious!  Have you seen the clumps that pass for lashes?  Yeesh.   I never quite understood why the Doctor chose Rose. Yes, he saved her in "Rose" but he's saved plenty of people, no?  She just seemed vapid, had a boyfriend Mickey and a mom to take care of.  Maybe he just liked her looks.

The episodes, much like Torchwood, are Sci-Fi silliness, but more family-oriented, while Torchwood is definitely for the grown-ups. "Rose" deals with saving Rose, and Mickey, from attacking plastic, mostly mannequins and garbage bins.  There's one with a huge piece of skin stretched on a canvas, Cassandra, who calls herself the last human alive when they travel 5 billion years in the future.  That was funny.   One episode introduces us to the actress Eve Miles, who later takes on the role of Gwen (she of the googly-eyes) from Torchwood, and another one has Naoko Mori who plays Tosh in Torchwood.

There are aliens in human-suits, we meet Charles Dickens, and we get to meet the dreaded Dalek race from series' past.  All the while, Rose and The Dr. develop a close bond that never crosses into the romantic.  It's slightly on the surface, but never pushes through.

I liked "Father's Day."  "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" were totally creepy-good, and introduces us to Captain Jack.  Yay!  "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of Ways" brought together the Bad Wolf story arc, and looking back, I think it's why Captain Jack can't die in Torchwood.

It was sad to see Dr. # 9 leave,  (Various rumors, from "he only signed one contract" by the show to "I hated the work environment" from the actor, abound) but curious to see this David Tennant fella I saw in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."  On to Season 2.

Still Pin Collecting

I've said in the past that I love Disney pin collecting.  They have SO MANY cute designs.  

As you know, we have Universal Orlando annual passes now, and guess what?  They have pin collecting too. (*coughcopycatscough*)

We received an e-mail about a special Annual Pass holder lanyard and pin for 2010-2011 pass holders only. Of course I had to see what it was about. 

HARRY POTTER LANYARD AND PIN?  Heck Yea, I'm getting this!

Over on the Kake Blog...

I case you did not see, I made a cake for an Eagle Scout ceremony and posted pictures of its creation over on my cake (Kake) blog.

Pictures can be seen here and in earlier posts.

There's this thing with our calendar....

Once upon a time, we had this awesome "Lord of the Rings" calendar.  I loved it.  It has Legolas and Aragorn. *sigh*  When the year was up, I was reluctant to give up my Viggo.  I was so reluctant, in fact, that I cut Viggo/Aragorn out and hid him in the pages of the next year's calendar.  When David finally noticed it, he laughed so hard.  This was back in the old house, so it started over 6 years ago.

It has been a tradition ever since.  I've hidden Aragorn in the current year's calendar and don't even mention what month, until we flip to it and someone finally notices.  It usually gets a laugh.  

2007's Calendar: Aragorn frolicking in the fountain. 

2008's Calendar: This was a Johannes Vermeer calendar.  Aragorn peeked in from a painting on the wall. 

2009's Calendar: This is some bird one David picked.  Find Aragorn.

2010's Calendar: A Nightmare Before Christmas.

2011's Calendar.

This year, Aragorn is peeking from behind a fence.  The lady in the picture states "It sure is hot all of a sudden."  Oh, how appropriate, ma'am.  How appropriate.  The gang won't see it until July.  Shhh!  Don't tell.

Weight Loss: Months 3 & 4

Months 3 & 4 were mid-November through mid-January.  (I started in the middle of a month). We're talking Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.  Lord Help Me!

Let's recap months 1 & 2:

Month 1 = 11 lb. loss

Month 2 = 4.6 lb. loss.

Two month weight loss total = 15.6 pounds.

Month 3 = 2.6 pounds lost.  (this included Thanksgiving, so I was happy.)

Three month weight loss = 18.2 pounds woo hoo!!!

Then came month 4. Christmas and New Years and two weeks after.  OY!  The first two weeks I gained, then the next two weeks I lost that gain.

Month 4 = 0.2 pound gain.  BUMMER!  But I was expecting a huge gain during the holiday months and I actually lost 2.4 pounds from Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Total for 4 months:  18.0 pounds lost.  

Happy Birthday Buffy!

January 19, 2011 = Buffy Summers' 30th Birthday.

Happy Birthday Buffy!

2011 is starting off with a bang!

and




This is for my immediate family.  They will know what it means.  Eventually, I'll get the o.k. to let the rest of you know.

Sci-Fi Hoedown: Torchwood Season 1

I decided to watch "Torchwood" for one main reason.

Come on, now. You know the reason, yes?    James Marsters was in Season 2 & I had to watch anything that had the wonderful Mr. Marsters.    Since he was in Season 2, I had to start from the beginning, with Season 1.



Little did I know I was watching a Dr. Who spin-off.  Silly me.  I should have started with Dr. Who's new 2005 revival, but I did not.

"Torchwood" is a group who works to save the world from the constant threat of aliens.  There's time travel, weird monsters and lots of adult situations.  This is not for little kids, people.

Captain Jack Harkness is the leader of this team; a time traveler who has been on Earth since the 19th century, never ages and can't be killed.

Also he's gorgeous.



And I think he's kind-of gay.  LOL!  His character is Bi, I just wanted to use that Willow quote.

The series starts with a local cop seeing the Torchwood people in action, and she gets an invite to join them.  That would be Gwen.  I do not like Gwen.  Her googly-eyes freak me out.



She's also sooooo empathetic & sympathetic, it kind of makes you nauseous.  Well, sympathetic until she cheats on her man. Boo! Hiss!

Owen Harper is the doctor/cool ladies' man.  Only he's NOT. He's a git. He's mean, snarky and rude.  How he's a ladies' man, I'll never know. He's my least favorite character.



Computer-whiz Toshiko (Tosh) Sato is the shy, brainy one who really could use a confidence boost.


Rounding out the team is Ianto Jones, the resident maid and sometimes-concubine of Captain Jack.



The episodes are mostly Monster-of-the-Week.  Some are so painful, it's hard to understand why they were even written ("Cyberwoman?"  Really?!? "End of Days" and Abaddon?  Blech.)  Some are really creepy good ("Countrycide," "They Keep Killing Suzie," ) and some I really liked for their originality or writing ("Random Shoes," "Captain Jack Harkness.")

It's campy adult Sci-Fi and it's fun.  Just don't stare at the googly-eyes!

Being a Tooth Fairy is HARD Work

My daughter accidentally swallowed a loose tooth during dinner tonight.  Very loud wails and tears occurred.  "Will the tooth fairy still come?" she sobbed.   "Yes baby," I replied.  "Write her a note."

(click the picture to make it larger)

Yikes!

Books Read - 2010

I read 56 books in 2010; 3 short of 2009's 59.  Blah!

Please note:

• I don't count audio books which I faithfully listen to Monday to Friday on my way to and from work.  I think the brain works differently hearing someone read a book vs. having to read it yourself.
• I don't count my Buffy comics; they're too quick.  I also don't count magazines. 
• I don't count the 4-5 books a week I read with my daughter.  She has to read a book a night for school.  These are WAY too easy, so I don't count them.  

Here they are by month:

January:
Heat Wave - Richard Castle
Mansfield Park* - Jane Austen

February:
Duty and Desire (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman. Book 2)
These Three Remain (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman, Book 3)
Dracula* - Bram Stoker
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

March:
Children of the Mind - Orson Scott Card
The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery
The Stupidest Angel - Christopher Moore
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

April:
A Dirty Job - Christopher Moore
Tortilla Flats - John Steinbeck
Undead and Unappreciated - MaryJanice Davidson
Genya - Genya Finkelstein
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larrson
Fluke - Christopher Moore
Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells

May:
The Girl Who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen
Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass* - Lewis Carroll
Undead and Unreturnable - MaryJanice Davidson
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
Practical Demon keeping - Christopher Moore
Frankenstein* - Mary Shelley

June:
Wicked Women Whodunnit- 4 authors
Coyote Blue - Christopher Moore
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
The Picture of Dorian Gray* - Oscar Wilde
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

July:
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
Bloodsucking Fiends - Christopher Moore
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Little Altars Everywhere - Rebecca Wells
The Great Gatsby* - F. Scott Fitzgerald

August:
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Island of the Sequined Love Nun - Christopher Moore
The Doctor’s Wife - Elizabeth Brundage
Crepúsculo - Stephenie Meyer
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

September:
Undead and Uneasy - MaryJanice Davidson
Suck it, Wonder Woman! - Olivia Munn
The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson
Dead in the Family  - Charlaine Harris
How to Cook a Tart - Nina Killham

October:
Lamb - Christopher Moore
Eats, Shoots and Leaves - Lynne Truss
Tears of the Giraffe - Alexander McCall Smith
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

November:
City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
City of Glass - Cassandra Clare
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
You Suck - Christopher Moore

December:
Mocking Jay - - Suzanne Collins
Morality for Beautiful Girls - Alexander McCall Smith
This Side of Married - Rachel Pastan

My favorites of 2010?    

The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (& the rest of the series I've read so far)- Alexander McCall Smith

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Eats, Shoots and Leaves - Lynne Truss
The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

Books I wish I could unread and get my time back:

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

Frankenstein* - Mary Shelley
Little Altars Everywhere - Rebecca Wells

How to Cook a Tart - Nina Killham

If you want to ask me about any of them, or tell me about a fantastic read I need to add to 2011, go ahead & comment!  I love talking books!  

*part of a Classics list I am working through. 

New Year, New Design

Bear with me as I mess with the new blog layout.

Is the font o.k? Too big, too wide? What should I change?

Hope 2011 is even better than 2010!