Wrecked...

As I've said multiple times, I avoid things that make are going to make me cry, like the plague.  Any book or television show or theater piece that may have something just ever so slightly tear-inducing and I'm out. It's not fun for me.  Whenever I talk to friends about this, they don't understand.  To them, crying about something entertaining is cathartic.  They feel much better after letting it all out in a crying session.  This is not the case for me.  

This evening, because This is Us is the best show on television, I watched last night's heart-wrenching episode.  I knew full well that it was going to kill me.  I read some things today to prepare myself, because had I not, it would have made the whole experience so much worse. Not that it wasn't bad enough already.  I cried for a good 2/3 of the episode.  It was so moving and so heartbreaking.  I love those characters so much that it's just so difficult to watch sometimes.  

Now, if I were my friends, I'd be feeling great right now.  But I'm not. I'm me and I feel awful.  My eyes are puffy.  All they want to do is close and sleep even though my brain wants to read.  My nose is stuffy.  And I'm still thinking about all the sad things I watched 3 hours ago and still feeling sad about them. Why exactly would anyone want to do this on purpose? 

I'll stick with comedy instead if no body minds. At least laughing from crying doesn't create the same puffy, stuffy and weepy effects.

Friday Five: 2016 in Review

This week is all about the best of the couch potato fun of 2016.  This year wasn't the best year of television, but there were some definite standouts.

1. Speechless (Most likely to make me laugh then say aww!): I love this show so darn much. It's funny and sweet at the same time.  And it totally gets special needs right.  They don't go too overly sweet but they don't go too mean either.  They show that a life with someone with disabilities is still just a life - with some extra add-ins.  It's just so good!

2. This is Us (Most likely to make me blubber sometime in the near future): I know everyone else is talking about this show, but they're doing it for good reason.  It's absolutely the best show I've seen in a long time.  I want to be friends with every actor on the show.  They're perfectly cast and are just awesome! I usually avoid anything that might make me cry, but this one's worth it.

3. Life in Pieces (Most likely to make me laugh out loud): I used to love Modern Family, but in the last few years it's gotten just a wee bit boring.  Life in Pieces is my replacement for it. It's another show that's so well cast, that you just want to be a part of the family so you can hang out with them every week.  On top of the acting and the laughs, it's creative too.  4 little stories every week - pretty perfect when you have TV-induced ADD like I do : )

4. Grease Live! (Most likely to make me smile from ear to ear, and get all sorts of nostalgic): For someone who loves musicals, this one wasn't even on my radar.  I mean, I LOVE the original Grease and I've seen it upwards of a hundred times.  So when they decided to remake it live, I wasn't willing to watch, because there's no way it was going to be as good as the original.  Oh, how wrong I was.  Aaron Tveit as Danny was amazing and dreamy and just awesome! They were able to keep all the fun and songs of the original while adding new fun to it. I gotta say, all future live musicals will have some high hills to climb.  Of course, if they're able to bag the genius Tommy Kail for their direction, like Grease was able to, I think they'll be just fine.

5. Gilmore Girls (Most likely to make me fan-girl): I must start by saying that I haven't seen the last episode yet.  I'm saving it because there are only 4 episodes and sometimes you just have to pace the awesomeness.  I never knew exactly how much I wanted a Gilmore Girls reunion until I started watching the episodes. Oh how I missed Stars Hollow!  The problem now is that now that I've had the 4 episodes, that's not really enough.  I could really use another few seasons...

This is Wednesday

Why is it always a Wednesday, when I have almost nothing to say?  I just don't get it. Mondays are usually pretty good.  There's trivia on Tuesdays, and fun things to start the weekend with, but Wednesdays are that day of the week that even the brain can't manage to process.  I just don't get it.  But it's a thing.  A thing that deserves a name, I think. Wednesday brain?  Writer's Block Wednesday?  See Wednesdays are days that the brain can't even come up with clever nicknames for.  Ugh!

Of course it doesn't help that it's raining, and not everyone is quite in the Christmas season yet.  I mean I am, but other people are less than enthused - of course I work with these other people so it makes my days super thrilling, let me tell you.  Wednesdays are just one of those days.  

There was one thing today, however, that did make me smile.  (I smiled more than once, just in case you were wondering, but this made me smile a lot)  Have you seen This is Us?  If you haven't, you need to get on it immediately.  I'm sure everyone around you has told you to watch it at some point, because it's just that good. But in case they haven't I'm going to tell you to do so now.  Here's my ringing endorsement - I know at some point in the near future, it's going to make me cry, AND I'm still watching!  

Normally I would have turned it off by now, but I just can't quit this time around. It's sweet and funny and chock full of really amazing actors.  There's a not a weak link in the pack. Speaking of not being weak, that brings us to what made me smile today.  These goofy set videos of the boys doing push ups.  I mean, seriously?  Not only are they stellar actors, but they're super athletic to boot?  And pretty dreamy too - it needs to be said.  How can you not love them? What makes the videos even better are the tweets that go along with them. 

If you haven't seen the show yet, avoid the hashtags until you've seen the pilot at least. Then you can bask in their awesomeness - spoiler free!  Hope these brighten your bland Wednesday, like they surely brightened mine!