Top Five of the Week: 2/14 - 2/20/11

1. Greek

I really love this show and I'm not ready for it to end in a few weeks.  I really enjoyed this week's episode when the whole gang snuck into Dobbler's and hung out.  It was nice to see the whole group together.  It seems like that doesn't happen too much.  The writers are doing a great job with this season.  They are starting new story lines but you get a sense that everything will be tied up when the show is over... *sigh* DON'T END GREEK!  

photo from ABCFamily.com

2. The Office - Threat Level Midnight

This week The Office provided an episode that reminded me why I used to REALLY love the show and why I keep with it.  The detail and throwbacks always make you feel like you are a part of the group.  This week Michael Scott premiered his movie "Threat Level Midnight".  Any true Office fan remembers the episode, in season 2, when the entire Scranton office met in the conference room and read through the script.  That fan would also remember the romantic moment when Jim and Pam shared a grilled cheese on the roof... back when they weren't together.

It was fun to see Threat Level Midnight.  I loved that they brought back old characters. 

photo from NBC.com

3. Adele's new album 21
I love Adele.  I happened to pick up her first album, 19, after seeing it recommended online.  Talk about a great album!  Her new album is being release next week, but NPR has it available for streaming on their website.  I finally got around to listening to it this week.  I love it.  I have been listening to the first single, Rolling in the Deep, for awhile now.  The last song on the album, Someone Like You, is so powerful.  I can't wait to get the album so I can really listen to it over and over.

4. Nerdist podcast
I'm still getting into podcasts (meaning finding more to listen to).  The first one I tried was the Nerdist with Chris Hardwick, Jonah Ray, and Matt Mira.  I really enjoy their conversational manner.  They posted their first episode a year ago the same time I started looking for one to listen too... I think it was meant to be.
This week the guest podcast had Colin Hanks.  I was listening to it at the gym trying not to laugh out loud too much.  I think the people on the machines around me thought I was crazy.

5. Words with Friends
I'm not big into playing games on my phone, but Words with Friends is different.  I guess it makes me feel a little more connected to people, especially when you're both playing at the same time and the answers come quickly.  I'm glad the android version was released this week.  I'm not great at it, but games are meant to be fun.

Quick Review: Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre

Broadway Nights is the story of Stephen Sheerin, an aspiring Broadway conductor.  The story was told in a fun unique way. The book is actually Stephen's diary that he is writing in the hopes of selling it as a book when he becomes famous.  His therapist, Monikah (yes, he goes off on the spelling of the name), suggested that writing down his feelings might help him work through some issues.  Throughout the book we learn about Stephen's aspirations to conduct a Broadway show, his less than perfect relationship with his boyfriend, and his interesting family.  Stephen even explains all of the Broadway terminology for his future readers who may not be versed in the theatre.


I really enjoyed this book.  Stephen seemed like someone I would be friends with, if he wasn't fictional.  I literally laughed out loud many times while reading this.  I'm really glad I just happened to see this when I was at the library last week.  I may pick up a copy just so I can read it again in the future.


Rating: Thumbs Up

Quick Review: How To Get Divorced by 30 - Sascha Rothchild

Just based on the title of this book it's not a surprise that I picked it up out of so many on a table.  Wouldn't you?  After looking at the synopsis I knew it would be a story I would enjoy.  The book is broken in to chapters that each describe one way the author, Sascha, headed to divorce before she was 30.  I found the book entertaining.  I didn't really relate to the author (our lives in our 20s were very different), but she tells her story with such honesty that by the end of the book you feel like you really know her.  This is a fun and quick read.

Rating: Thumbs Up

Top Five of the Week: 2/7 - 2/13/11

I've been wanting to do a regular/weekly type of a post to get me posting on here regularly.  This leads me to bring you the Top Five of the Week.  The items in my top five will come from things I see, read, and do (just like my tag line says).  I thought I would start with last week to get this segment up and running!

1. Disney Family Museum
I took at weekend trip up to Sacramento to visit my parents.  Normally my visits are wasted away shopping (my Dad loves to hunt down a deal) or with other various time wasting activities.  For this trip I suggested we hit up the Disney Family Museum in the Bay Area.  Overall I enjoyed the museum.  Lots of memorabilia from the family.  As someone who worked at Disneyland for over 8 years and taught orientation at the parks and the studios, I'm pretty well versed in the history of the company, so not too much of it was new information.  There was a really cool model of Disneyland near the end.  Since we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the museum you'll have to take my word for it.

The Disney Family Museum

We lucked out because the day we went there was a special event: Designing a Contemporary Classic: The Art and Process of 101 Dalmatians.  It was a panel with Floyd Norman, Andreas Deja, and Don Iwerks.  It was pretty interesting to learn how Ub Iwerks kind of developed the idea of using a Xerox machine for animation and hear stories about working for the company when business was booming.  I wish I had done some research on who was going to be on the panel because Andreas Deja was the supervising animator for Lilo (if you know me you know why I'm sad about my lack of preparation). 

Me with Don Iwerks,  Andreas Deja, and Floyd Norman

2. Used Book Sales
We stopped by a used book sale at a church prior heading up (over?) to the museum.  It kind of set the book buying craziness for the weekend.  On the plus side we didn't spend more than $2 on a book.  I ended up with over 50 books and probably only spent $40+.   


3. Family
It was great to see my parents.  Though, I'm lame and realized that I didn't contact my brother to let him know that I was in town.  What a bad sister I am.  Not that he'll ever read this, but sorry Jason!

4. Vino Volo at the Sacramento Airport
Great wine bar at the airport.  Great end to a great trip!

5. Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre by Seth Rudetsky
I just happened to see it on the shelf in the library and I'm glad I picked it up.  I really enjoyed this fictional story of an aspiring Broadway conductor.  Many times it had me laughing out loud.  I'm going to write up a quick review of this and another book I read over the weekend soon.