I'm Baaack!

Hi guys! How're things? Did ya miss me? The Padres certainly did and are now a game out of first place in the NL West. All good things and whatnot.

Anyway, the point is me! I made it to Virginia. I knew this state and I would get along when my mom and I drove through Draper, VA.

Williamsburg is lovely and has just about everything a girl could want. I found an apartment and the Trader Joe's and the Chipoltle (these things are important) and I'll start work on Monday. Tonight, I'll drive about an hour to hang out with our old pal, Garney. It's all happening.

So, um yeah. Just wanted to check in and say hi. My eyes have gazed upon a few things I'd like to share with you, but I forget what they are now. Hopefully, I'll get back into the swing of things next week. For now, have a lovely weekend, get excited for the True Blood season premiere Sunday and watch USA beat England on tomorrow in the World Cup!

xoxo Gossip Girl Red

This (mostly) Just In...

What's up, Monday morning people?! Hope your weekend was lovely and not full of earthquakes like ours was (actually, earthquakes in SD are rarely very destructive...they're mostly just weird. Thank goodness for that). Anyway, here's some stuff you may or may not be aware of...

Anna Paquin: Bisexual - Isn't, like, everyone under 30 bisexual these days? The best joke I've read about this story from Warming Glow: "[...]this shocking announcement has had an immediate effect on the television industry, as True Blood has halted production until Stephen Moyer recovers from exhaustion as a result of too many high-fives." Oh, marry me, Matt Ufford.

New (Steven Page Free) Barenaked Ladies Album: Just Okay - I downloaded it last night and there are some really great tracks (like the lead off song "You Run Away") and some pretty craptastic songs (like "I Have Learned"), but I love BNL and I'm sure the album will grow on me.

Baseball: Opening Day - Sure, it technically started last night with the Yankees and Red Sox facing off at Fenway, but no one cares about those teams. Today the season really begins. Everyone in the known universe is saying my Padres will finish dead last in their division...and they're probably right...but with players like Kyle Blanks and Heath Bell and Yorvit Torrealba and Adrian Gonzalez (for now), I'll enjoy watching them do it.

Best TV Shows of 2009

It was a good year for TV and I'm still formulating this list in my head. Let's discover my favorites together, shall we?

10. Big Love HBO - The third season of the polygamist drama was chock full of deceit and murder and even a controversial look into the Mormon church and it's rituals. This show just keeps getting better.

9. Lost ABC - Season 5 will be remembered as the season the hit show really let it's Geek Flag fly. I'm still not sure what the frak is going on, but I can't wait to find out.

8. Glee Fox - I realize it's too cheesetastic for a lot of people, but I like it. The music is fantastic and it reminds me so very much of my high school days.

7. Friday Night Lights NBC - I've not watched the latest season, as it won't be on regular TV until the summer (I think), but season 3 was a great. Coach and Tami are still the best couple on TV, Lyla has become less of a skeeze, and watching the Riggins brother, Jason and Herc flip Buddy Garrity's house was one of the funniest things ever.

6. 30 Rock NBC - Deal breakers. Slankets. Night cheese. Liz Lemon speaks to me (and every other women like me...I know...I am not special). The most recent episodes have been uneven at times, but it's still one of the best shows on TV.

5. Dexter Showtime - Best nemesis ever (John Lithgow) + Best ending ever = Best season ever.

4. Breaking Bad AMC - Bryan Cranston is so good on this show, it's ridiculous. Add Aaron Paul's outstanding performance, drugs, chemistry, cancer and small town America and it's hard to understand why more people aren't watching.

3. Curb Your Enthisiasm HBO - Hands down, the funniest show of the year. Nothing else comes close.

2. Mad Men AMC - A friend of mine said to me last night, "You and Liz are obsessed with Mad Men" and why wouldn't we be? It's a phenomenon. Good season and perhaps the most satisfying season finale of all time (what? hyperbole suits me!).

1. True Blood HBO - I don't care if it's campy...or if most of the foreign-born actors have trouble with southern accents...I love this show. It's my favorite of 2009 and summer 2010 can't come soon enough.

Honorable Mentions - Damages, Torchwood: Children of Earth, Dollhouse, Rescue Me, #1 Ladies Detective Agency

Thoughts?

How is there not room on the actual list for this awesome season of Rescue Me? Gah!

This (mostly) Just In...

Alexander Skarsgard and Evan Rachel Wood Dating - Dude, Evan Rachel Wood gets around! Yet another romance born on the set of True Blood. At least they're both vampires...or something. (For the record, this does not make me totally jealous. Really. It doesn't...at all. *sniff*)

A Day Without Cats - Today on the interwebs, 40 sites have decided to refrain from posting pictures and videos of cats being adorable (I Can Has Cheezburger is not among them, obvs). Why? Why would the world want to be so cruel?! I mean, I get a Day Without Megan Fox, but cute pictures of kittehs gets me through the day!!!

Why would anyone want to me deny this kitty?!?!?!?

Glee Returns Tonight - After geeking out before the initial "premiere" and kind of being the slightest bit disappointed, I'm moderately excited for the series to begin for reals. Even if the show itself continues to be on the "Meh+" side, the tracklisting for the show's soundtrack looks ah-mazing!

Three Things I Never Want to Hear About Again - The Gosselin's (DIE), the Obama school speech (not to get too political, but conservatives are retarded), Tila Tequila and Shawne Merriman.

Guess Who Turns Two Today?

We do! I kinda can't believe we've stuck with it this long, but yay for us! My gift to you (since birthdays are all about giving back)? What I know you all actually come here for...pictures of attractive people! You're welcome.

Lafayette, I am Your Maker!

True Blood is fast becoming my favorite show on TV. We'll see Sunday if the new season of Mad Men can reclaim the crown (seriously, you guys. Mad Men and True Blood back to back on Sunday nights?! The TV gods are too kind).

Anyway, look what someone on some other blog found! True Blood paper dolls! You can print them out and dress them up and be all...

Lafayette: Why don't you just make me a vampire?
Pam: We'd rather keep you around to sell V because we are the evil vampires.
Lafayette: Whatever, hooker. You made me lose my pizazz!

See! So much fun. Apparently, the creator of these dolls plans on crafting new characters each week until the Season 2 finale. I can't wait to get Hoyt and Jessica.

Jessica: Oh, Hoyt! You're so dreamy. Let's do it.
Hoyt: Oh yeah! Afterward, can I read to you from my comic book?
Jessica: Only if it's not sad because when I cry, I cry tears of blood and it's really gross.
Hoyt: Deal
*mmm kiss, kiss, kiss mmmmm*

Awesome.

My Current Obsession

My current obsession is Hoyt Fortenberry* from True Blood. I like Hoyt because he is cute and nice and loves his mom. I also like Hoyt because he doesn't like skeezy girls. Someday, I would like to meet a boy like Hoyt, but that will probably never happen because he only exists in my television.**


* Note I am not obsessed with the actor who plays Hoyt (aka Jim Parrack, who literally just got a Wikipedia page...not that I've been, like, looking for one or anything) because he is engaged to some girl who is not me and that's just how I roll.

** Also, I don't know why this is written like I'm 10 and recapping my summer vacation. I may be losing it.

Programming Notes

Some exciting TV happenings this week:

Top Chef Masters - Premiering tonight on Bravo, TCM takes real, famous-ish chefs and makes them compete, Cajun Style! Err, I mean, Top Chef Style! Pros: Professional chefs should make for some amazing food porn and all the winnings go to charity. Cons: No Tom Colliccio and no Tom Colliccio. Let's all see if life without Tom is worth living, shall we?

Pushing Daisies Finale - Saturday night will be our last night with Ned and Chuck and Olive and Emerson. Apparently, creator Bryan Fuller had enough notice to wrap things up for us in a somewhat satisfying way. Is it bad that I kinda want Ned and Chuck to finally kiss even though that means she'll die again?

True Blood Season 2 - The best HBO show since, well, Big Love starts it's second season Sunday night. Liz is watching season 1 now and I cannot wait to have True Blood viewing parties. You are invited, too, obviously.

Also, is anyone watching Rescue Me this season? It has some really brilliant moments that blow my effing mind. Catch up on Hulu if you can.