Gilmore Girls

I never saw an episode of Gilmore Girls when it originally ran in 2000 through 2007. Because of the anticipated Netflix mini-series, I was curious to know what the show was about, therefore, I started renting the DVDs from the library and I'm currently binge-watching Season 2. 

For those of you who have never watched the show, it's about a single mother Lorelai (played by Lauren Graham), who became pregnant at age 16, and her teenage daughter Rory (played by Alexis Bledel); mother and daughter both reside in a fictional small town called Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Rory's father, Christopher (played by David Sutcliffe) also makes a few appearances on the show, but is mostly a deadbeat dad. The other main characters are Lorelai's mother Emily (played by Kelly Bishop) and father Richard (played by Edward Herrmann). The rest of the cast is made up of the quirky townspeople who reside in Stars Hollow and Rory's classmates at the snobbish private school she attends. 

Lorelai's relationship with her wealthy and controlling parents is tense, especially with her mother, which is in contrast with the close mother and daughter relationship that Lorelai and Rory share. In fact, Lorelai and Rory seem more like best friends rather than mother and daughter. Their relationship reminds me of the special bond I shared with my own mother, perhaps that is why I love this show so much. Plus, the charming small town they live in and the quirky townspeople gives the show so much warmth and wit. But the stars of this show are Lorelai and Rory, their close mother/daughter bond, the witty, rapid and often sarcastic dialogue makes the show extremely entertaining.

Gilmore Girls just makes me feel warm and fuzzy.


General observations about the show:

• They do a lot of walking in Stars Hollow. I'm always wondering where are they going? Or are they out for a stroll? Do people walk everywhere in small towns? Other than NYC, I never see people walking.
• Lorelai and Rory eat a lot of junk food and they eat at Luke's (the town's diner) everyday. It looks like the only healthy meal they eat is at their weekly Friday dinner at Lorelai's parent's house. Realistically, both mother and daughter should be obese. But I guess it's possible that they both have a high metabolism or perhaps it's all that coffee they are drinking, walking and talking a mile a minute burns off calories. Ha!
• It is cool to have your mom be your best friend, but realistically, your mom will make you eat vegetables, will discipline you and sets limits.
• How is it that Lorelai, a single mother, who got pregnant at 16, is financially independent and self-sufficient? Also, has her own house? Also, wants to buy a bed and breakfast with Sookie (the chef at the Independence Inn, where Lorelai works). Not possible, even in 2000.
• I'm often amused by Lorelai's clothing style. Did we really wear crop tops back in 2000? Crop tops are extremely unflattering on the majority of women's figures.
• I like all the characters on the show except Michel, the concierge at the Independence Inn. How in the world did he get that job? He is extremely rude and his fake French accent drives me up a wall.

Gilmore Girls cast

Get to know me...

1. What is your middle name? I don't have a middle name.
2. What is your favorite drink? Coffee.
3. What is your favorite song at the moment? Cheap Trills, by Sia.
4. What is your favorite book of all time? Wuthering Heights.
5. What TV shows are you currently watching? Gilmore Girls, Season 2, Dark Shadows on YouTube, Project Runway, Survivor.
6. Favorite movie? Some of my favorites are Breakfast at Tiffany's, Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz.
7. What is your favorite shop? I don't have a favorite, but I love thrift stores or anyplace I can get a bargain.
8. How tall are you? 5 ft. I'm a shorty.
9. PC or Mac? PC, but I would love a Mac.
10. Favorite resturant? Agatina's or The Brookhouse.
11. How many siblings do you have? Two brothers, one is deceased.
12. Do you speak any other language? I can manage Italian, but I'm not fluent.
13. Favorite perfume? Glow perfume by Jennifer Lopez.
14. Are you a morning or night person? Night.
15. Are you a collector of anything? Sweaters, bears and dust (joking).
16. What is your favorite animal? Dog.
17. Are you addicted to a video/computer game? Which one? Candy Crush, but that is the only one.
18. What is your go-to drink at a bar? Wine spritzer.
19. What is your favorite junk food? French fries, chocolate, ice cream.
20. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? NYC.
21. If you were an animal, what would your be? A bird, because they can fly and that is amazing.
22. How would you describe your style? I love classics and boho or basically anything I'm comfortable in.
23. What are your best 3 personality traits? Funny, kind-hearted, helpful.
24. What are your worst 3 personality traits? Moody, sarcastic, lazy.
25. What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? Movie and popcorn.

Am I a feminist?

Reasons why I am a feminist:

• Women should have rights that are equal to men.
• Women should be paid equal to men for the same job responsibilities.
• Equal job opportunities for men and women. A woman who is qualified can do a job just as well as a man.
• Outdated female stereotypes: women are not as smart as men, women are the weaker sex, a woman's place is in the home to serve her husband and children, labels like old maid, slut.
• Women should not have to pay more than men for goods and services. http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/03/news/female-male-products-pricing-boots/index.html?iid=EL
• Women are not sex objects and should not be treated like a piece of meat.
• Women should never be denied education or getting ahead in life because of their gender.

Reasons why I am not a radical feminazi:

• Because feminism was created so that both genders are equal, but equal does not mean identical.
• Because I don't want to be identified as a victim and I don't want entitlements or special favors based on my gender.
• Because I do not hate men.
• Because women can be whoever they want to be and should not be shamed for choosing the traditional roles of mom and housewife.
• Because all women are not created equal, i.e., attractiveness, intelligence, personality.
• Because I do not automatically stand up for women just because we are the same gender. I judge all men and women on whether (or not) they are a decent human being.
• Sexual promiscuity is not liberating, but I do not think women should be shamed.
• Because opening the door or offering your seat to a female on a crowded bus shows you have manners. There is nothing sexist about being chivalrous.

Eyebrow Threading

After years of having my eyebrows waxed, I finally decided to try eyebrow threading. My life has been so boring lately, that I try to put a new activity on my calendar each day. And sometimes it's something shallow like addressing my eyebrows.

judge away...

So, I get to the mall where they do eyebrow threading. There was a few customers ahead of me, so I started chatting with one of the customers, telling her this is my first time getting my eyebrows threaded. She told me not to worry and that she loves it and that there may be a little pain, but it is not bad. I noticed the therapist was very fast, so that tells me she knows what she is doing. Great!

After about a 10 minute wait, it's my turn. I explained to the therapist that it's my first time and she also said there was a little pain, but it is not too bad. So, I laid back in the barber-style chair not knowing what to expect. I was worried that the therapist didn't ask me how I wanted my eyebrows to look, but she went right to work and it felt similar to tweezing, so yes, there was a little pain, but it wasn't too bad. Then she asked me to pull my eyelids in opposite direction, so good thing I didn't wear any eye makeup. She also trimmed my eyebrows. The best part was the cooling gel she applied after she was done. It seems the whole procedure only lasted a few minutes. There was a little redness, but my eyebrows looked fantastic and the redness was gone in an hour. I don't think I'm ever going back to waxing. Very pleased with the results.

Survey Questions

It's good to ask yourself questions. It clears the mind.

“The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions.” – John Simone


 ☺️
1. Are you reading a book right now? Yes, The Best of Everything, by Rona Jaffe.
2. Cats or dogs? Dogs
3. What music/artist are you listening to? Listening to classics, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, jazz, alternative, and some country.
4. What is the last food you ate? Shrimp Alfredo pasta
5. What is the name of the last movie you saw? The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
6. What is your passion? Fashion
7. Have you ever run into someone famous? Yes, I ran into Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick at the subway station in New York.
8. What TV shows are you watching? DWTS, Project Runway, Survivor
9. Do you have a job? I'm working temporary jobs at an agency.
10. What are your hobbies? Zumba, craft projects, knitting, reading
11. Shower or bath? Shower
12. What store would you say you buy from the most? Wegmans, Dollar Tree, Walmart
13. Ice cream or cake? Cake
14. What do you do to relax? Go to the library to read.
15. What did you eat for dinner? Shrimp Alfredo pasta
16. What is your dream job? Fashion designer or buyer
17. Did you vote for Trump or Hillary? Trump
18. What was the last thing you heated up in your microwave? leftover Shrimp Alfredo pasta
19. Did you exercise today? No
20. The last time you went out of your house, where did you go? Library
21. Do you have a tattoo? Yes
22. If your year consisted of only one season, which one would you choose? Summer
23. Do you miss anyone? Yes, definitely, my mom and my dog the most.
24. What sign are you? Virgo
25. Science or math? Science
26. What time did you wake up this morning? 6:30 am
27. What subject did you like the best in high school? Chorus and ceramics
28. What were you doing an hour ago? Reading my book.
29. Favorite holiday? Easter
30. If you eat eggs, how do you eat them? Over easy.
31. McDonalds, Burger King, or Wendy's? Wendy's
32. Twitter or Facebook? Twitter
33. What was the last thing you did that embarrassed you? I dropped a cup of coffee at Wegmans. 😳
34. Right handed or left handed? Right handed
35. Describe your day so far in three words? Nervous, Disappointing, Hopeful
36. Where was the last place you went to that you hadn't been to before? At a company called Hanes Supply Inc.

37. Have you quit a job because you hated it? Yes

38. Do you color your hair? Yes. The hairdresser colors my hair.
39. What is your favorite donut? White cream filled.

Make America Great Again

A poem by me...

One of my best poems:

Did you wonder if
I caught your glances?
Yes, of course I did
and, I know you caught mine
No, it wasn't infatuation
it was a fascination that
your face graces my imagination
Yes, a shared moment,
and then quickly over.

— A poem by me, Your Glances and My Imagination

Gone With The Wind, Scarlett O'Hara, and Me

I'm reading Gone With The Wind and the lines below caught my attention. I can relate to the part that says "ladies dislike me." I have always felt that ladies dislike me also. Women have always been jealous of other women and it even existed in 1936 when Margaret Mitchell wrote the book and still exists today in 2016. Jealousy is human nature and will never go away.

"I think–I think, she began hesitantly, “that I’ve always been lonely where women were concerned. It isn’t just my working that makes Atlanta ladies dislike me. They just don’t like me anyway. No woman ever really liked me, except Mother. Even my sisters. I don’t know why, but even before the war, even before I married Charlie, ladies didn’t seem to approve of anything I did."

—	Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind

My article got published!

I submitted my "free clothes" article to Woman's World Magazine and it got published in the July 14-20 issue. I noticed they changed some of the wording from my original article, but that's OK. I also received a $25 payment for the article. The check came in the mail yesterday. Cool!

Free Clothes

I recently did some spring cleaning and cleaned out my closet of unwanted clothes. I wanted to give away the clothes free instead of donating them to a charity, who would try to sell them. So, I decided to bring the bag of clothes to my gym where I work out. I placed the bag in the girl's locker room with a sign that said "Free Clothes". People could try on the clothes first before taking them. When I was done with my workout, I was so happy to see that most of the clothes had been taken. As I was leaving, I overheard a woman on her cell phone saying how grateful she was to get free clothes since she was on a tight budget. It felt great to be a secret Santa and to help someone out.

Donald Trump Rally in Rochester, NY

I'm really late with this blog, but better late than never.

I attended the Donald Trump rally held in Rochester, NY on April 10, 2016. What a thrill to see the next president on the United States. Nope, there is no doubt in my mind that he will win. If you haven't attended a Donald Trump rally, I strongly suggest that you attend. It is something you will never forget and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life.

Here's my ticket, which I am keeping as a memento of the event. Thank you for not collecting them.

I headed out early to the Rochester Technology Park (the Elmgrove Plant), where the buses would take us to JetSmart Aviation where the rally was being held. When I got there, I was shocked to see there was already tons of people ahead of me in line. The day was very cold, I forgot my gloves and I was freezing. Luckily, it wasn't a very long wait in line.

While waiting in line, I bought a $5 button from a vendor for a good cause!

The line in back of me, right before getting on the bus. It's another huge crowd for a Trump rally.

The bus taking us to the rally!! Excitement is building!!

The mounted police patrol, keeping the rally safe. Our police did a fantastic job.

The line ahead of me to go through security at JetSmart Aviation. While waiting in line, I heard a cop say they are only letting in the first 6,000,

OK, I made it through security and I got my spot in the crowd. I'm about ten rows back from the podium. Of course, everyone is taller than me, so it's a little difficult to see. A man next to me offers to carry me up on his shoulders. What a nice man!

So, next we wait, standing for a couple of hours. Thank God I wore my comfortable boots. Taking in the crowd, I notice there is all kinds of people around me, young, old, children, lots of women, and lots of vets.

Pastor Mark Burns fires up the crowd!!

Finally, Mr. Donald Trump has arrived and all pandemonium breaks loose. It was awesome! Here's my picture.

Here is Mr. Trump's full speech at the Rochester rally.

Mr. Trump made a fantastic speech and I couldn't have been more pleased. If anybody can bring jobs and prosperity to Rochester, it's Donald Trump. It certainly is not Hillary Clinton. Of course, there were protestors at the rally and I saw them lined up on the street as the buses were leaving. Unfortunately, my bus was moving too fast and I wasn't able to take of picture of the protestors. As far as I know there were no serious problems with the protestors.

So, that's it. The bus brought me back to the Elmgrove plant and I drove home. It was a great experience.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!

10 Random Questions

It's good to ask yourself questions. It clears the mind.
“The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions.” – John Simone

1. What book are you reading? Girl With The Pearl Earring
2. What music/artist are you listening to? Prince
3. What was the last movie you saw? Madame Bovary
4. What TV shows are you watching? Dancing With The Stars, Mr. Selfridge, Survivor, General Hospital, Politics on CNN
5. What is your favorite color? Blue
6. What are your interests/hobbies? fashion, music, politics, Zumba, reading, pop culture
7. What is the weather today? Cloudy, cool, 49 degrees
8. What did you have for breakfast? Coffee
9. Did you have dream last night? Describe it. I was at a work event and everyone was dressed up.
10. I wish I had_______. A job.

Prince and Daffodils

I've always had strange things happen to me. Strange prophecies that usually come to me in a dream. I've had many dreams that come true the next day.

I had another strange experience and it concerns Prince and his untimely death. Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate. I later found out that elevators and death were themes in the song, "Let's Go Crazy". I looked up the song's lyrics and found he referenced "daffodils" in the song and I was bit shocked.

Dr. Everything'll be alright

Will make everything go wrong

Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill

Hang tough children

This is the picture I posted on Twitter and Facebook right after I heard about Prince's death. The daffodils are located in my patio area. There was no particular reason why I posted the photo, other than I thought the flowers were pretty. Notice the purple flower (odd?). When I posted the photo, I had no idea that the song "Let's Go Crazy" had a lyric referencing "daffodils". 

Prince is one of my musical heroes. Spring flowers for you. Rest in peace. #RIPPrince #Legend #genius 

Is it just a coincidence or is it a weird psychic phenomena? Who knows?

Anyway, thanks for the music. Rest in peace. Love always.

Equality

Lots of talk lately about equality for all and socialism. Here's what I think:

There is no such thing as equality when it comes to people. People will always be different from each other, especially when it comes to ranking and physical characteristics. Whether it's a job or it's popularity. The way people act, think, feel, or even function makes us all different from each other. Then throw in things like gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, intelligence level and financial ranking that separates us even further.

To have a world where everyone is equal and exactly the same would be a very gray place, a place where there is no life.

While we can and should work to lessen any differences, stereotypes, and discrimination against various people, it seems it would be impossible to ever create such a Utopian society, because we don't live in a perfect world.

RIP David Bowie, 1947-2016

The music of my youth...

Changes

Oh, yeah

Mmm
Still don't know what I was waitin' for
And my time was runnin' wild
A million dead end streets and
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse of
How the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

Mmm, yeah I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time

Strange fascination, fascinatin'
Ah, changes are takin'
The pace I'm goin' through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Oh, look out you rock 'n' rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now you're gonna get older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time

Songwriters
DAVID BOWIE

Thank you for the music, which will always live on.

My New Year's resolutions

My list of New Year's resolutions that I end up not keeping:

1. Be more organized.
2. Get a job that I love.
3. Get rid of clothes that I don't wear and don't fit anymore.
4. Write a daily "to do" list.
5. Eat less sugar and more fruits and vegetables.
6. Drink less diet cola and more water.
7. Exercise everyday.
8. Finish what I start.
9. Do more fun activities.

OUT with the old and IN with the new!