Jumping the Shark

I thought the term was ubiquitous but since I've had several questions as to what my last post was about I thought I'd provide a primer.

From wikipedia:

Jumping the shark is a colloquialism coined by Jon Hein and used by TV critics and fans to denote that point in a TV show or movie series' history where the plot veers off into absurd story lines or out-of-the-ordinary characterizations, particularly for a show with falling ratings apparently becoming more desperate to draw viewers in. In the process of undergoing these changes, the TV or movie series loses its original appeal. Shows that have "jumped the shark" are typically deemed to have passed their peak.

So to give an example, many people think that Moonlighting jumped the shark when Maddie and David finally hooked up. And Jon and I just had a discussion about at what point The Cosby Show jumped. He says it was when Olivia was added - I say it was the addition of Pam. The Jump The Shark website is no more but you can still get the book from Amazon. Hope that helps. What are you favorite, or most frustrating, jump the shark moments?

Uh-oh...

Did My Boys just jump the shark? Your thoughts in the comments, please.

A New Way of Life

We've been dog parents for 3 weeks now and except for a few small bumps in the road, it has been really nice. Jon's new favorite time of day is his morning walk with Ray. (Should I be jealous?) I look around the apartment and think of how much we've altered our schedules and space to accommodate our little one. We've rearranged our bedroom to make room for a soft crate and we've given up some valuable real estate on the first floor for a gigantic food and water bowl, a fluffy bed, a metal crate, a baby gate to guard the stairs, and toy box. We eat at our table now instead of on the couch - it's bar height so it makes it hard for Ray to beg - and we snack standing up at the counter which is probably better for us because we don't eat as much. 

This time of year, Jon works a lot of extra hours and it can be a little lonely around the house so I am really enjoying having a companion to hang out with and take care of. We talk on the phone just as much as always but now there is always a dog report involved: where Ray was walked, for how long, was he good on the leash, did he do something naughty or incredibly cute. I told Jon that eventually this won't be so new and we'll go back to talking about other things. I imagine this is exactly what it's like to have a new baby, right down to getting up in the middle of the night to take him outside. (Thankfully, we're over that.)

By the way, Ray is not 7 months as we were originally told. He's probably somewhere between 12 and 18 months, so he is about as big as he's going to get. He might fill out a bit but he's definitely on the small side for a lab. That's fine with us. And we found a phenomenal vet right down the street since we can't take him to Houston every time he needs shots or has the sniffles.

Not long after we got Ray we also realized that we have more cable than we thought we were paying for. Until we sort it out, we are enjoying ESPN, TLC, Animal Panet, and National Geographic. We've watched all of the recent episodes of Dog Whisperer (that Cesar Millan is a genius), It's Me Or The Dog, Dog Town, Whale Wars, and What Not To Wear (Marianna's story is my favorite). Kristy, if you'd go to work for the Houston SPCA I could watch you on TV. That would be cool.

As for Cesar Millan's show, it always bugs me that he hangs out in Vegas, Los Angeles, and Arizona - very sunny, hot places - and he and has trainees never wear sunglasses. Random, yes, but it is a problem for me almost everytime I watch. Has anyone else noticed this?

Not much else going on here. Just keeping our eyes on this situation. Will let you know if there's any news.

These eyes get me every time.

Where is everyone?

I hope that lack of blogging means that everyone is having a wonderful, busy May.

Todd gave himself his last haircut. And this is why:

No, that's not him, but it looks a little like what he did to himself! He actually shaved off one of his sideburns as well until he noticed the clipper wasn't on. Needless to say, he wore caps for quite a few weeks. He's finally getting a haircut today in preparation for beginning his summer job.

Lost

Did anyone see the last episode last night? I'm surprised I could sleep last night after all of that. At least questions from over the season were answered.

And last, Death Cab for Cutie is coming on Tuesday. Hopefully the weather forecast is off as usual - they're calling for rain and it's an outdoor concert.

Jo's Blog Dump 12/12/07

Our weather has been craptastic this week. There have been a lot of accidents and injuries on the roads. I'm not sure of the details but Jon and I came across a startling, but amusing, sight yesterday. The traffic was a little heavy on the highway but we didn't see any accidents or anything. A minute later we saw what was causing the slow-down: lots of little stuffed monkeys scattered all over the road. Some still had some shape, but most were pretty flat and some were even leaking stuffing. I wonder where they came from.

Funny story. Saturday night at work a guy asked if we had a biography section. I explained that we don't, all biographies are shelved according to the person's place in history or culture. So he said, "Where would I find the biographies on Jesus?" No joke.

I'm thinking of getting a perm. Or as Jon says, a temp. I'm hoping for the look on the right.























I am super excited for this:



What is a blog dump? A list. I love lists. Apparently, so does everyone else.

Your Thoughts on The Bachelor

Brad Womack: Gentleman or Jerk? Discuss.

Catch-all Post

There are a lot of little things to share/discuss, so without further adieu, here's my bulleted list:

*Sophie turns two tomorrow. She had her "painting party" birthday party last weekend. I will post pictures when we get them from the girl that took them for us. It was super-fun. Tomorrow we will go with Gigi and Grandpa to the Dallas World Aquarium, which is a giant rainforest/aquarium. It's gonna be so fun. She's getting so big and learning so much. New "Sophie-isms" include saying "Oh, doot" (trans: oh, shoot) and pulling up a chair to the counter to help me make dinner. She's morphed in to a girly girl and likes her princess nightgown and baby doll. She's still a big Thomas the Train fan, though.

*I am pretty much done with first trimester nausea. My stomach is still pretty sensitive, but I can eat again. We hopefully will discover the gender of Baby #2 next month. Also, Sophie will have two new cousins on her daddy's side next year, so three new babies in 4 months for Grandma Kiki. She's physched.

*Fall TV is coming. I've got my last-season shows lined-up: Heroes, The Office, 30 Rock, but the jury is out on any new shows. I meant to write a post about Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, but got interrupted mid post. The question is: Do we like or not? Episode 1 had me bawling, of course, but that's not saying much these days. I'm also interested in Chuck, Life, Bionic Woman and maybe The Women's Murder Club, mainly because of Angie Harmon. So far, my lineup is pretty NBC heavy, but we'll see how the season progresses.

I guess that's all the news that's fit to print.

The Traveler

I've realized today that I have the uncanny ability to cancel shows. All I have to do is proclaim it is my new favorite show, and off the tv they go. My latest is The Traveler. Because it's on so late in Indy, I watched it online the next day. Imagine my horror this morning when there was new show to watch, and after some research on google, finding out that last week's cliffhanger episode was not only the season finale, but also the SERIES FINALE. I am now in mourning and am playing Zuma for hours to fill this void.

Here are a few other shows that I must've jinxed as being one of the few fans.

1. Less Than Perfect (at least this one was on for a few seasons, but I started watching it late in the game)
2. Married to the Kellys
3. John Doe

Other things I should have outgrown....

I still love Saved By the Bell!! (See Sarah's post below.) It's on every morning and I definitely watch it when I can. Also, in the last few weeks I heard "Friends Are Friends Forever" and thought of you guys!!!

Eric is starting a management job at Subway today and I'm so happy for him. Our church website is casemountain.org if you want to see what's been going on at our church. I have had so much fun watching Eric preach and really feel like he is in his element. It's been a really cool adventure so far.

I am still working at the daycare but am looking to get back into doing therapy. I'm feeling ready to re-enter that world. I'm planning to finish 8 credit hours of classes so that I can get my licensure, and that will open up some more opportunities for the kinds of things I can do. Hope y'all are doing well.

After All These Years

I'm 30 now. The 70s, 80s and 90s have all passed by, as hallmarked by multiple VH1 specials. Time goes by, our tastes change. I cringe when I look back at my permed hair and pretty much all of my clothes from those decades. Some things, however, have withstood the test of time and remained part of my personal history (in a good way.) Here are the things I ought to be ashamed to admit that I still love:

1) Michael W. Smith. I suppose the fact that I listened to MWS for a minimum of 2 hours a day for the better part of 10 years would explain the fact that something inside me melts whenever I hear his raspy voice. He gets me every time, every dang time.

2) Boy Meets World. Just finished watching a very special episode where Shawn has nowhere to live and moves in with Cory. It made me cry. Now that is great television. (Side note: I just saw Mr. Feeny as a CIA agent on an episode of The Closer.)

3) Butter and sugar. I should have outgrown the overwhelming desire to stick my finger in the butter dish or down a few sugar packets by now. You'd think having kids would make me want to be a better role model, but all I can think is, "Hey, Soph, pass the butter. . ."

4) Power ballads. What better way to express your tortured love for someone than to belt it out in your best man-scream?

5) My blankie. (That's not mine in the picture, but I was too lazy to get up and take a picture.) Those of you who know me know that I am definitely not kidding on this one. And we're flying to Wisconsin this year, so I won't be able to take it with me. (Sniff.)

6) Pop Rocks. They are still really, really fun to eat. And they still mystify me as to how they work their magic! And don't eat them while drinking coke . . .

7) Clueless. One of the greatest movies of all time. (I've linked you to the script so you can study its genius in detail.)

8) Ricky (Rick) Shroder. He made this season of 24. Yeah, he looks older than when he was on Silver Spoons, but he's still so cute.

9) Pink everything. I've got pink shoes, pink shirts, pink pants, pink purses and a pink camera case. It's like I'm 14 years old again. But it's just such a happy color.

10) This Present Darkness/Piercing the Darkness. I read each book 5 times in the span of 3 months. I haven't read them since, but based on the fact that they were what held me together during a very tough time in my 13 year-old life, I'm pretty sure I'd still love them.

I've bared my soul, now it's your turn. Can you think of anything you still really, really love that you ought to have outgrown?

Since I am certain that Jo can't post from the plane (although I wouldn't put it past her) I thought I'd share the posting load tonight. Yesterday I was doing some deep thinking. I know some of you have lofty thoughts of a spiritual, moral or political nature, but I am not afraid to admit that I was actually thinking about commercials. Three commercials in particular, because they annoy me so much.

#1 A commercial for Bounty paper towels. The narrator helpfully tells us that if you want to preserve your fancy hand towels from having someone actually use them (anyone else instantly think of Monica from Friends here?) you can thoughtfully fold up some paper towels (Bounty, of course) and place them on the sink for use. Then the narrator adds, (and I directly quote) "This thoughtful touch will show your commitment to luxury." In what universe is a paper towel considered luxurious? I'll admit, I'm cheap and I do think twice before using a paper towel (am I the only one?? Come on, admit it!) but even I know this is not luxury. I persona!lly don't mind when people use my hand towels because that is what they are for. I know, I'm crazy

#2 Starts with some girls sitting on a rooftop in a city. Suddenly the decrepit old wooden water tower behind them sprouts a leak (don't ask why). One of the girl leaps out of her seat and stops the water flow (she has Buffy-like reflexes). What does she use to stop this huge flow of water you ask? Yes, you guessed it, a feminine hygiene product stuck to her hand. I don't even know where to begin with this one.

#3 A commercial for "Age of Love" a new reality series (good thing they have new reality shows coming out because there are so few on television these days). The commercial itself isn't very impressive, but the concept of the show caught my attention. They "surprise" the bachelor with two types of women, twenty year olds and forty year olds. Anyone willing to bet on the forty year olds?? I think this, along with commercial #2, is very insulting to women (especially the poor 30 years olds who are totally left out). Especially since NBC is touting it as a "social experiment" that is supposed to give us an insight into the male mind when it comes to women's age, as if we didn't already know.

So when I'm not thinking about the commercials, my mind drifts to issues of more significance. Yes, again you're right- Ocean's 13. I saw it on Sunday, and let me tell ya, it did not disappoint. Not at all. A few suggestions for the creators (since I'm sure they are dying for my opinion):

There could have been a scoatch more Brad in it.

They could have incorporated a little more skin - why couldn't they have done some of their scheming around the pool? I would have been happy with even a bare arm (not even both arms, I'm not greedy).

Two things to observe if you haven't already seen it:

Brad is drinking some sort of beverage in practically every scene. He ate in every scene of Ocean's 11 and I'll have to watch 12 again to see if there's another compulsive habit in that one.

There are also some scenes that clearly display that Ellen Barkin has had some work done. You know what I mean.

On a final totally unrelated note of some actual significance, anyone not hear that Heather is having a second baby?

America, Go To The Head Of The Class

While keeping my brother company tonight during his recovery, we watched part of a new game show on Fox. It's called "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" and features Jeff Foxworthy as the host. I love quiz shows - have I told you all about how I attended an open casting call in Chicago for "Weakest Link" and did quite well on the test but they didn't like the fact that my dad (sort of) works for NBC - but I simply don't think I can get behind this one. As Robbie said, this might be the first show where you qualify by failing the test.

Consider this progression: first came "Jeopardy," which requires you to actually know things and gives up to 61 clues per game, with a theoretical maximum one-day purse of a mere $566,400. Then, there was "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" (correct answer: me!). Just 15 questions, progressing in difficulty, with a $1,000,000 prize waiting at the end. Now, we have "Fifth Grader," where all you have to do to win a million dollars is answer 11 questions in categories such as "1st Grade Grammar" and "3rd Grade Astronomy." And in true "Millionaire" style you even get 3 lifelines, all various forms of help from five cute smarty-pants child actors that appear on each episode. (And I suspect they are given the answers ahead of time.)

During tonight's episode, it pained me to watch a grown man struggle to determine the suffix of "unfortunately" and a woman incorrectly guess that the number of U.S. states bordering the Pacific Ocean is 3. Astonishingly, last night's debut was the "most-watched series debut in Fox network history" and "the most popular debut of any series since 1998." Really, in 9 years there has been no series premiere more anticipated than this? Maybe the appeal is all about that final moment for each contestant after they've answered their questions and been awarded their money when they have to look into the camera and declare, "I am not smarter than a fifth grader!" That, my friends, is something to be proud of.

Confession: I must sheepishly admit that my mom, my brother, and I all had trouble with how many teaspoons are in 5 tablespoons. You would think this would be something I should know, but as someone who does not cook the last time I probably encountered this was actually in 3rd Grade Measurements. And by the way, the answer is 15.

This is a big month for our blog. Three more of us will be entering our fourth decade. Ugh. 30 doesn't sound so bad. In fact, I'm really looking forward to embracing my 30s. But fourth decade? You know what comes at the end of it, right? 40.

I was going to try the webcam again and post another in-the-moment picture, but then I realized it would look exactly like the one from Monday. Same shirt (don't worry - it saw the inside of a washing machine just this afternoon), same yellow pillow behind me. The only difference is that Jon is now on Year 2. He is particularly entertained by Scabbers. I have no idea why.

Just to get the ball rolling

Aloha! Welcome to the Apartment Five B blog. This little outpost on the internet is meant to be a place for a small group of dear college friends to keep in touch and discuss faith, family, purpose, favorite TV shows, great hair products... You know, all of the important things in life.

"By yourself you're unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped."

Ecclesiastes 4:12 MSG

As it is Tuesday night, I should be watching Love Monkey about now but CBS has cancelled it after only 3 episodes. I think it was a bit premature to pull the plug. CBS is replacing LM with (drum roll, please!) a reality show! Because we all know there isn't enough reality TV.

For all of you children's book lovers out there, check out the stamps I got today.

8 days until BFWWC...
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