Oregon Trail

Oregon Trail

Obsession Level: Always THE Best Day in Computer Class!

I frankly hated computer class when I was younger.  Of course this was back when computers were fairly new to us.  There was no mouse, that would come later, so everything about them was restricted to the keyboard.  You can forget about "graphics" since giant pixelated pictures were what you got at best.  In fact, thinking back on it now it really seems strange that technology hasn't always been what it is today.  It makes me feel a little old when I think about that.  

In our computer classes in Elementary school, the normal agenda was typing.  Everything was about learning to type correctly.  There was some cat, Paws or something, that taught typing.  The program was boring.  I also remember much later having the Mavis Beacon teaches typing or something along the lines of that.  

There were also delightful days, though when we were allowed to play a game.  I remember the teacher had these big boxes full of games on floppy discs and you could select one to play.  She had a few copies of the classics like Carmen Sandiego and Oregon Trail.  I'd always rush to get Oregon Trail because I thought it was the best game ever!

Some years later, when we actually had a home computer, my mother brought home a game for me and my best friend.  We were so excited that we couldn't stand it.  It was Oregon Trail II!

Oregon Trail II was a lot like Oregon Trail the original in concept.  Now, though, it had graphics, and they were pretty.  We also had the use of our mouse.  Now I realize it wasn't an extremely impressive game in comparison to some of the games we have now, but we loved it.

I don't know if it was the game itself that we liked so much or the ability to put our friends and family on the game and make up scenarios about what was "really" happening along the Oregon Trail...We spent many nights just playing it over and over again.  I think we actually made it to Oregon a time or two.

Since I've gotten older I played the game once or twice on my own.  I realize, though, that without my best friend there the magic of the game is lost.  

I think it's sad that with all the games that have been produced throughout the years, future generations won't know the joy of deciding when to go hunt for meat and how to cure dysentery on a pixelated trip to Oregon.   

Lizard Lick Towing

Lizard Lick Towing

Obsession Level: Obsessed in Spurts?

I don't really know how to explain my relationship with this show.  I saw a bunch of my friends posting about it on Facebook so I decided one day to give it a try.  I was on one of my marathon television streaks and had already watched all the Duck Dynasty and Swamp People that OnDemand had to offer.  I admit that when I found the show, I watched all six episodes that they had there, but I wasn't sure if I was impressed or not.

Let me start by saying that I DO NOT believe for a second that this show is not staged.  It has to be.  The only part of it that I might actually believe is that they own a repo business.  That's about as far as I think the truth goes.  For one thing, they're going about repo all wrong in my opinion.  You don't go sneaking up to someone's house in the middle of the night.  That's asking for trouble. You turn your nice lights on your nice truck, knock on the door, and inform them that you are there to repo their vehicle and they can pick it up when they've talked to the lean-holder.  At least that's how I'd do it.  

Instead they end up in fights.  Lots and lots of fights.  The fights are then later followed up by someone coming to the office and screaming, yelling, and throwing things.  All of this happens in front of a camera crew, of course, and I've only ever seen the police get involved once.     

Ronnie and Amy apparently tried to get on Wife Swap at one point, but they weren't accepted.  I'm not sure why that is...I mean when your wife is a fighter and you own a repo business that apparently causes you to brawl with about ten different people a day, it seems reasonable that you would be prime material for Wife Swap.  

That being said, the show does offer some strange form of entertainment.  If nothing else, the analogies that Ronnie comes up with are often hilarious.  I don't watch this show regularly, and it certainly isn't one that I would tune in for each week, but every now and again I'll slip over to OnDemand and see which episodes are being stored there.  That's usually after I'm sure there are no other episodes of Duck Dynasty to watch, so you can see that I'm not completely obsessed.  I don't actually know that I would be able to recommend the show to anyone, at least not anyone looking for something to seriously watch, but if you're just looking for something new to help you kill a few hours without doing anything that's mentally strenuous, I guess it's good for that.  

A Kingdom For Keflings

A Kingdom For Keflings

Obsession Level: Short Lived But Intense

I was introduced to this game by a friend.  Actually by one that is very often mentioned in my blog...the same one that was involved in the Twilight time wasting, in the Drop Dead Diva addiction, and in the man-eating feety pajama fiasco.  We spend a lot of time together, and it's becoming more and more evident as I write more posts here.

This particular event, because it really was an event, took place shortly after her first child was born and I was visiting for a week.  It was also the first time that I'd ever been to her new house.  Her house had a game room that was stocked with all of their gaming systems, a television, and a couch that pulled out into a bed.  We also added a baby swing to rock the baby while she slept.  Armed with pajamas, snacks, half a dozen delivery menus and a week's worth of time, we were to enter that room and only come out to make bottles, go to the bathroom, or accept deliveries.  

What were we doing for an entire week?  Well, we were playing with the baby during her waking hours (which were few at the time) and the rest of the time we were dedicating to building a Kingdom for Keflings.  

What are Keflings you might ask?  They're tiny little gnome like creatures and we were giants responsible for building them a nice little place to live.  It's another one of those mindless games that eats up entire days of your life without you realizing what's happening to you.  You're running around building things, chopping down trees, and moving Keflings where you want them to be so that they can do some of the grunt work.  During that week we had entire conversations that consisted of "Drop a Kefling over there...I need a couple to stack this wood...go build a house to make more Keflings..." You get the point.  

That was a glorious week building that kingdom with my best friend, eating Chinese food, and taking care of our little newborn love.   The funny thing is that we never played the game again.  I'm not sure if she even has it anymore.  I don't know why we were never to return to that obsession again, but it was one that only lasted a week.  

Maybe the next time I visit I'll suggest that we look that one up again.  It was fun, even if it sounds really dumb in theory.  Maybe it was the company that really made it great!

Karina Lombard

Karina Lombard

Obsession Level: So We Meet Again...

By now you know about my obsession with the L Word.  When I first started watching the show it was with two friends.  One had never seen it before and the other was an addict already.  It took me being forced to watch a few episodes before I actually began to like the show, but soon I was looking forward to Girl's Night when both friends would arrive, snacks and beverages in hand, and we'd settle down to watch.  There was, of course, a lot of chatting that went on during the show about who liked who, who was the least liked character (always Tina), etc.

The one who had watched the show for ages loved Bette.  She absolutely adored her.  Bette could do no wrong in her opinion.  One night, after talking about Bette for a while, she decided to question me and the other friend about who we liked.  We both declared that we didn't know who we liked, but we could definitely say who we didn't like.  She kept insisting that wasn't good enough for her and that EVERYONE who watched the show had a favorite.  It was impossible to avoid.  

The other girl finally admitted to liking someone.  I think it was either Bette or Jenny.  I didn't want to admit who I liked, though, because I thought I'd get mercilessly teased since no one had mentioned liking this character at all.  I was intrigued by Marina.  I finally did admit it, and luckily I wasn't teased, but I was asked to explain why since she doesn't seem to be very well-liked.

To me, she's fascinating.  There are a lot of plot turns that revolve around her and sometimes you want to hate her but for some reason she makes it very difficult to hate her.  Needless to say, I was not happy when she left the show, but I was thrilled with her cameo appearances later.

After watching the show a few more times, I decided to look up the actress and see if there was anything interesting that she had been in.  I didn't remember ever having seen Karina Lombard before.  

What I did find out was interesting.  She was born in Tahiti to a European father and a Native American mother.  At about the age of one her parents split up and her father took the children to Europe where she grew up in various countries and was educated in Swiss boarding schools.  She speaks something like five languages fluently.  That explains a lot.  We could never figure out where she was from since her accent didn't really "go" with any one country.  Now I understand why.  She was mostly a model, but she's done a little acting with roles like "Girl on beach" being the most common types with a few bigger roles sprinkled in.  She's also a singer, but she sings in French.  

I also found out that she was on Legends of the Fall.  I had seen the movie once, but I guess I hadn't noticed her that time.  That meant, of course, that I had to go back and watch the movie...and yep, there she was.  She plays Isabel Two.  

After indulging also in watching quite a few interviews with her (thanks YouTube), I think this could really develop into a new obsession for me.  She hasn't done a lot, but I'm sure that I'm going to be exploring what she has done!  

The Sims

The Sims

Obsession Level: We Have A Love/Hate Relationship.  I Love It And It Hates To Let Me Get Anything Done

Whoever invented this game is a bonafide genius.  Seriously, you created a game that is absolutely addicting yet you really do nothing in the game.  I mean have you ever tried to explain to someone how you play Sims?  You build families and you live their lives.  Period.  Still there's something absolutely fascinating about the game.

I got the original Sims for Christmas one year and I was immediately hooked.  It was like a pixelated Barbie game in my opinion (I don't think that I played Barbie games like normal people...there were far too many affairs and murders in my games).  I could create any kind of people that I wanted and manipulate their lives.  Some I created merely for experimental purposes to see what would happen if I did things to them.  I ended up with a Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde type individual that drank crazy potions and went nuts on a regular basis, I have had characters that I wanted to get rid of so I put them in a room with a fireplace, removed all the doors, and started a fire (I think this game brings out a lot of your inner darkness) and I've lost countless kids to Social Services because they don't do their homework and they don't go to school.  Life was really good when I learned the money cheats.  My Sims are always rich and they never have to go to work.  I hated the money situation when I didn't know the cheat.  Now everyone's a millionaire!  

This is one of those games that you can easily stay up all night and all day and play like a zombie in front of your computer.  Once you start, it's terribly hard to stop.

That's why I have to frequently delete the game from my computer.  Whenever I have a lot of work to do or a tight deadline, I have to delete the game.  Otherwise it taunts me and tempts me with the idea that I'll just play for a few minutes.  That's never the case.  It's like eating one potato chip, it absolutely cannot be done.  So I give in for a few minutes and then it's suddenly three in the morning and I've done nothing but play Sims all day.  That's why the game has to be deleted from time to time.

If it's possible, Sims 2 is far better than the first one.  The graphics are better and the game has more detail.  I'm still a failure as a parent, though, and my kids are constantly being taken away.  Children in this game are very difficult to manage and they never want to do their homework.  I've figured out the only way to successfully raise children in my Sims households is to make sure that there are at least two adult women.  They have to be joint mothers so that someone is always after the kids to do what they need to do, eat when they need to eat, and sleep occasionally.  Realistically the homework that the kids have to do is ridiculous.  It takes all their time so they get depressed, and then they don't want to do the homework.  If you've got one kid you can handle it, but after that it's out of control.  I have also found that it's handy to have one genius child that create to love school work.  Then that child can spend all their time doing the homework that the other children leave scattered around the house and yard.  

There's only one thing on the second game that I don't like as much as the first.  The Sims on the second game age and eventually die.  The ones on the first game don't age.  Once they are adults they are just adults.  I like that since I get attached to my Sims and when they die I have to delete that family and start all over again by building back the original Sims that I was playing with before.  I'd like to be able to freeze them.

I haven't tried any of the other Sims games.  Frankly I just haven't ventured into it since I really don't need anymore Sims distraction in my life.  The copy of Sims 2 that I keep by computer already keeps me busy enough when I allow it to entice me to play.  

Converse

Converse 

Obsession Level: I'll Take Them All!!!

My love of Converse sneakers started when I was young.  I had a pair from Wal Mart (yes, at the time they sold them at Wal Mart) and they were Looney Tunes high tops.  They were denim colored and had Bugs Bunny on them.  At that time I formed an emotional attachment with my shoes (even getting a tattered pair out of the trash that my mom tried to throw away) so it was no different with the Converse shoes.  

When those wore out I went a long time without owning a pair of Converse sneakers.  Then somewhere around Junior High I was to fall in love with the second pair.  These were also denim colored, but they were they were the Converse "sandals" that were in style for just a short while.  Essentially they looked like someone hacked up a pair of converse high tops and left the toes out. I loved them.  I also remember that my mother found that fashion choice a little less than desirable.  I wore those things out, though, so eventually we were forced to part company.  I was unable to find pictures of either of those early Converse loves.

Then I got to college and I saw everyone wearing Converse sneakers.  My interest in the shoes was renewed and I wanted  a pair.  I got the first pair that I'd had in a while during my stay in Europe.  They were bubblegum pink.  There was one problem, though, they didn't fit quite right.  I didn't realize that you needed to buy Converse shoes a half size larger than what you actually needed.  My shoes when I was younger were always too big (leaving room to grow) so I had never had the experience of trying to find Converse sneakers that fit just right.  Unfortunately I had the sneakers home for about a week and had worn them a few times before I realized that we weren't going to be happy together and the store didn't accept exchanges.  

When I returned to the states my lovely bubblegum pink Converse sneakers were rehomed with my best friend who also loved them and happened to have feet smaller than mine.  They had a good home, but I still wanted some sneakers.  That led me to Zappos and the purchase of the shoes that we call the "birthday cake sneakers."  I was unable to find a picture of the birthday cake shoes, and that's unfortunate because they are awesome!  I got them for my birthday gift to myself.  They are multicolored pastel plaid low top sneakers.  The pastel colors and the fact that they were a birthday gift to myself is why they are referred to as the birthday cake sneakers.  I love them.

My obsession wasn't over, though, because the next year I wanted another pair for my birthday.  I had gone to the Converse website and toyed with the idea of creating my own pair, but the ones I created I realized that I would probably never actually wear into public.  I realized I might as well just go for a nice solid color.  I thought of revising the bubblegum pink since I'd never really had the chance to fulfill the long relationship with them that I had dreamed of.  I also considered blue (one of my favorite colors) or green just to switch things up.  Finally I went with purple (featured at the top of the post).  Purple is a wonderful color and it's one of my favorites.  The purple were a good choice and I wear them a lot.  They don't show dirt nearly as clearly as the birthday cake shoes.

Just looking for the pictures for this post left me wanting another pair of Converse sneakers.  It's been two years since my last purchase, so maybe I should indulge myself.  I guess it's time to start figuring out what color I'd like to add to my collection this time...any suggestions?

Anne Ramsay

Anne Ramsay

Obsession Level: More Intrigue Than Obsession...

So let me set this little post up for you.  I was watching Season 2 (maybe?) of the L Word for the second time with a person that I used to wrongly consider my friend.  That in itself is another story.  Anyway, this individual was heckling me about the people that I liked on the show.  She insisted that I always like the older actresses and don't like anyone new.  While that's true to some degree it's not entirely true.  I admit to being several decades behind the times in my television viewing, and therefore the obsessions I follow do tend to be older actors and actresses, but I consider that a side effect of low exposure and not a necessarily a personal preference.

Anyway, during that season there is a character, Robin, who appears in something like six episodes.  She's a love interest of a very confused Jenny who has just broken things off with Marina.  Robin also ends up briefly with Marina.  Go figure.  So when this character is on screen the heckler begins to harass me, betting me that I like this character.  It went something like this:

"I bet you like her, don't you?"
"No, actually I don't."  

I was confident when I responded that I had told the truth.  I did like the character, but I didn't think the actress was attractive.  Or did I?  The more I watched, the more I wasn't sure what I thought.  She reminded me of an episode of Seinfeld where Jerry is dating a girl that they refer to as a "two-face".  Depending on the day Jerry takes her out, sometimes she's attractive and other times she's not.  It's very confusing for Jerry and it's also very confusing for me.  That's what this woman is like.  The one thing I did know for sure was that I had seen her somewhere but didn't have a clue where.  That led me, of course, to go in search of information.

I found out a lot about this actress, and figured out where I'd seen her before, but we'll get to that. What I found out that related specifically to the L Word was that she has an exceptional personality and apparently everyone loves her.  She also had a scene that was deleted in which she had to kiss Karina Lombard (Marina).  She said that Karina wasn't thrilled by this, preferring all her "love" scenes to occur only with recurring cast members, and therefore said that she would do the scene but had the stipulation that the kiss had to be without tongue.  Anne's response was that she was fine with the stipulation, but she "didn't know how to kiss without tongue."  I'm guessing the scene was deleted because it was awkward?  LOL

So, I figured out where I knew her from.  She played Lisa in the television show Mad About You.  I loved that show when it was on the air, and I'm more than a little mad that no one plays the reruns.  It was a good show.  She was the boy crazy and  permanently single sister of Helen Hunt (Jamie).  That's where I knew her from.  

That wasn't all, though, she also played in one of my all-time favorite movies.  She was Helen Haley in A League of Their Own (with Geena Davis).  Her part in the movie was relatively small, but as soon as I saw the pictures (thanks Google), I was reminded of who she was.  I'm quite sure, though, that I wouldn't have put that together if they hadn't told me online that she had been in the movie.  

I also found out that she is in an episode of Drop Dead Diva in season four.  Netflix hasn't made that available to me yet, but I'm sure I'll watch it when they decide to release it.  

So that's Anne Ramsay.  Not really an obsession...but she was for a few days while I figured out where in the world I knew her from!  

People of Wal Mart

People of Wal Mart

Obsession Level: We've All Been There...

I'm one of those people that loves Wal Mart.  You can get everything there that you need or want, literally everything.  It's also an ideal place to people watch, which is another of my hobbies.  The thing about Wal Mart is that no one ever cares what they look like when they go there.  It's like the testing ground for possibly insane outfits.  

That's why I love the creators of the site "People of Wal Mart."  This site is exceptional.  If you haven't been there before, then  you need to pay a visit.  The basic idea of the site is to upload pictures of the interesting characters that you encounter in Wal Mart.  Anyone wearing anything ridiculous is subject to end up there and it will leave  you in stitches.  The very idea that people will leave their house dressed in some of these outfits is remarkable.  

While the site is hilarious, it's also frightening.  I now always do a Wal Mart double take before I head out to go shopping.  I don't want to end up on this site, but we all know that there are times when people could snap a picture of us and post us up for a good laugh for the multitude of visitors.  I can think of two specific situations where I, or a friend of mine, could have very easily ended up as a showcase photo on the site.  I'll share those with you...

1)  A friend and I were sent to Wal Mart one day to buy a bag of rocks.  That's right, rocks.  You might be surprised to learn this, or you might not, but Wal Mart does indeed sell rocks.  So here we go in search of the needed rocks (for planting purposes).  We get to Wal Mart and it's raining.  So we go inside, get a buggy and inquire about the location of rocks.  They tell us that the bags are in the parking lot where they  keep the other planting supplies.  So we go out in the parking lot, in the rain, and load the giant bag of rocks in our buggy.  During this entire process  we end up covered in mud and soaking wet from the rain.  Then we have to cart the rocks through the store to check out.  Somehow we avoided being uploaded on the website, but that was just a lucky moment.

2) Another friend of mine went into Wal Mart with a new purse that went across her chest.  She was taking it on a trip so she thought she'd take it on a test drive to make sure she liked the bag.  Somehow during her wanderings around the store the strap on the bag managed to unbutton her shirt entirely, though she never realized what was happening.  By the time she got to the register and went looking in the bag for her credit card, she'd been walking around the store exposing her less than Victoria Secret style bra to the entire crowd.  She was, of course, embarrassed, but she was also afraid that she'd see herself on the site.  Luckily she too escaped photographic evidence of her wardrobe malfunction.

So there you have it.  People of Wal Mart is hilarious, but we all know that there have been times when we could have ended up there.  While I'd never intentionally go into the store dressed like some of these people, I do accept that at times it's possible to simply be a victim of a bad fashion misfortune.  

Archie Comics

Archie Comics

Obsession Level: I Loved Them As A Child, But Still Secretly Read Them.

I know that comic books are a big part of a lot of people's childhoods.  They love Batman, Spiderman, Superman, etc.  I never was that child.  I didn't like all the violence and the saving of mankind, etc.  It just never interested me.  What I did love, though was Archie comics.  

Every few weeks it would appear at the grocery store near the checkout stand.  I always had to have it, no matter which of the possible varieties it was.  That was my treat for going to the grocery store.  I also remember that one time my grandparents found an entire box of the comic books for sale at a garage sale and I was in heaven!  They never took long to read, but I didn't mind rereading them.  I have no idea how many of those comic books I have in storage in my parents' attic, but I  can guarantee there are quite a few.

In my mind, nothing that Superman could do could be nearly as entertaining as seeing what would happen with the Riverdale High gang.  

Of course there was more than just Archie Comics, several member of the gang had their own comic books and I had them all.  

Betty and Veronica had their own digest, and it was often a double digest, so it was especially wonderful since there was more to read.  Theirs wasn't as much fun as Archie's since they focused mostly on the romantic relationships, which were what I found least interesting about the comic books.  

Jughead was my favorite character, so I loved his digest.  He was lazy and he ate all the time.  He seldom got involved in all the puppy love madness that haunted everyone else.  What wasn't there to love about him?  

I admit that I still love the Archie comic books and if you look around my house hard enough you'll find a stash of them.  They're not easy to find these days, and certainly aren't as plentiful as they used to be, but every now and again they'll appear at the grocery store or Wal Mart and I snatch them up as quick as I can!  

I'll Scream Later

I'll Scream Later

Obsession Level: As If I Wasn't Impressed Enough...

As if I wasn't impressed enough by Marlee Matlin I went ahead and decided to read her autobiography.  I started it one day and decided I would just read a chapter.  Only one chapter.  By the end of the day I had read the entire book and had done little else with my time.  

I've read a lot of autobiographies in my day.  I like to read them and before the internet they were the best possible way to find out about the things that I was obsessed with.  Some of them have been pretty good...I'm thinking of Reba's, Cher's and Tanya Tucker's...and some of them have been pretty dry and boring.  The better ones to me always read more like fiction and less like fact sheets.

Marlee Matlin's is hands down the best.  The style itself is great.  It reads just like fiction and at times it's hard to remember that this is actually her life story.  I guess her skills as a writer (yep, she's a writer) helped out with this.  She also mixes in testimonies from other people, so that gives a dialogue type effect to the book.  It's a quick and easy read, but it's entertaining too.

As for the actual story of her life, it's impressive.  She's been through a lot, but she manages to keep a very positive attitude it seems.  Through reading the book it made me want to be friends with her.  I'm sure she's an amazing person to be around.  I also got some insights into the acting world that I would have never thought about before.

So let's see, this woman is a wife, mother of four, doesn't do overnight babysitters or long term nannies (she has her family to help her when she's acting), is a soccer mom, bakes food for her kids classes, heads a Girl Scout troop, acts, dances, writes, has her own sign language app, does lots of charity work, and still finds time to Tweet regularly.  There's really nothing she doesn't do.  It's hard not to be impressed.

I'm voting for Marlee for president.  We wondered where we'd find someone who could do everything, and I think we've found it.  

The Electric Grandmother

The Electric Grandmother

Obsession Level: It's A Classic!

I remember this movie fondly from my childhood.  I remember learning the songs and being fascinated by the entire idea.  On the one level, there's a lot of appeal to a grandmother that can produce anything you want to eat or drink instantly, can produce string to make your kite fly, and can recall everything you ever said and did with absolute accuracy, even providing you a print out of that memory in a freshly baked muffin.

I'm sure as a child the fantasy of the entire situation was what attracted me to the movie.  On top of that, as everyone who has ever had a grandmother they were crazy about knows, it's always heartwarming to watch a movie about loving grandmothers...and this one was custom made.  

Now that I'm older though, and I've lost my grandmother, watching the movie has a different appeal.  It's a perfect example of how your perspective changes on things as you get older.  Maybe this appeal was always there and I wasn't mature enough to really realize what it was that drew my attention to the film so much.  The appeal now is the idea of the immortality of the ones we love.  The Electric Grandmother could promise something that we all secretly desire but know to be impossible: That those we love would live forever and would always be there to take care of us.  

The children in the movie lose their mother, but when they get the Electric Grandmother, they get someone to love and nurture them that will never die.  In fact, she's even there to take care of them in their old age.  I think that the movie is appealing because that's one of those deep seated fantasies that we all have at some point.  It seems like such a wonderful promise to be promised the love and care that you enjoyed as a child anytime you want it.  

In fact, the only thing I don't understand now that I'm an adult (and I doubt I noticed it as a child) is why they put the grandmother into storage for all those years.  I would have thought that someone would have wanted to have her with them.  It's not like she would have ever been any kind of burden.  I guess that's something that can't be explained to me since it's a movie and therefore there exists nothing more of the story than is presented there.

This is a very short movie, and it's very difficult to find these days, but you can watch the entire thing on YouTube.  If you have never seen The Electric Grandmother, it really is a good movie.  I warn you, though, that depending on your frame of mind at the time it can definitely make you emotional, or at least it can for me.  

Leisha Hailey

Leisha Hailey

Obsession Level: She's Growing On Me!

So I first encountered Leisha Hailey on the L Word as Alice.  She was the cool, spunky one that everyone wants to know as a friend.  I admit that Alice took some time to grow on me.  It wasn't that I didn't like her, that was never the case, but I didn't absolutely love her.  As I continued watching the show, though, she became one of my favorite characters.  She always had something hilarious to say and she delivered most of the best one liners in the show.  Plus she was so adorably awkward that you couldn't help but love her.  

I also knew that Leisha sang.  I know she did some of the songs on the show, but I kind of thought that was as far as it went.  I assumed that she might have told the producers of the show that she had a good voice and recorded a few songs just for them.  I didn't realize that she's actually a musician and makes some really cool music with her partner.  We'll get to that.

So, the L Word is gone, and that's where this obsession ends, right?  I mean I'd never seen Leisha on anything else so I figured that was her one claim to fame.  

I was wrong, though...well at least partly.

I was watching Drop Dead Diva and there is an episode where Jane is accepting an award for her work with the police.  A house wife stands up and accuses Jane of having an affair with her husband, leading Jane on a wild goose chase to find out what happened in her past and also to find out what happened to this husband.  Who played that wife?  You got it.  Leisha.  

Well, if you've figured out anything about me by now, you'll know that this sudden reappearance of Leisha in my life sent me to find out what else she has done, which, is admittedly very little in the way of acting.  She's acted in a few episodes of televisions shows and some shorts.  She has, however been active on the music front throughout her life, particularly of the Lilith type music.

So apparently Leisha started her musical career in the 90s with the group The Murmurs.  I've listened to some of their music and it's a little trippy, but it's pretty cool.  Their look is very late 80s/early 90s, though!  

Check this out!  

Yep, rainbow hair and everything.  From The Murmurs she later started a duo with her partner called Uh Huh Her.  Their music is pretty awesome, so I'd check it out if you were like me and had never heard of them before.

So now I've added Leisha Hailey to my musical interests, but I'm still disappointed in her IMDB list. With the L Word off the air now, maybe she'll get some acting roles in some movies.  She's a good actress, so I wouldn't think it would be that hard to find a role that she'd be good in as more than a cameo appearance.  I'll keep a lookout to see when she stars in some new role and until then I'll just have to listen to music and watch videos on YouTube.

Drop Dead Diva

Drop Dead Diva

Obsession Level: It's To Die For!

I have only recently found this show, but I've already made my way through almost three seasons, and at this time that's all that Netflix has to offer.  Apparently the fourth season recently finished airing on television, but I unfortunately missed it.  I am hopeful of a fifth season, though, and I'll wait patiently while Netflix decides when it's going to make the fourth season available.  

When this show first started being advertised, I thought that it was going to be stupid, so I didn't watch it.  Then my friend began insisting that I watch it because I would love it.  I was hesitant to start watching it, though.  This is the same friend who recommended Twilight, so I wasn't sure that I trusted her judgement.  I finally caved, though, because I wanted something else to watch and I wanted something new.  I'm glad I caved.  This show is great!!!  It has just enough drama to get you every now and again, it's got some really interesting court cases, it's hilarious, and the guest stars are an amazing line up.  

Here's the back story:

Deb

Deb is a character that's one of the most important characters, but really isn't present on the show.  She's a "shallow" model that dies in the very first episode.  She dies at the same time as Jane, the other main character, and her spirit gets sent back to Jane's body.  That's when we start finding out that either Deb isn't as shallow as we thought, or else she's learning a lot through having to live in Jane's non-model world.  

Jane

Jane is the other main character.  She, like Deb, is sort of always there, but not there.  We only briefly meet the actual Jane before she dies and her body is inhabited by Deb's spirit.  From there out we have the whole Deb learning to be Jane thing going on.  It's really a type of Sancho/Quijote blending that takes place.  It's confusing if you think about it too hard, but mostly I just think of Jane as Jane, even though she's really Deb as Jane...fun, huh?

So whereas Deb was a model, Jane is a lawyer, and a very good one.  Deb is lucky in that she inherits Jane's intelligence, because she needs it to pull off some of the cases that she has to work.  

Fred

Fred is Deb's (and thus Jane's) guardian angel.  Because of the little problem where she got sent back to Earth in another body, Fred has been put on Earth patrol and comes to live with her.  He's cute and funny, and he needs her just as much as she needs him.  I hadn't been watching the show too long before I wanted a Fred of my very own.

Fred falls in love with Deb's (and now Jane's) best friend (and now roommate) Stacey.

Stacey

Stacey was Deb's best friend.  In fact, she was on the phone with her when she had the wreck that killed her.  Stacey is also a model who wants to break into the world of acting, but her career isn't going very well.  Deb, upon finding out she's in Jane's body, ignores Fred when he tells her that she can't tell anyone what has happened and she decides to tell Stacey.  Stacey then moves in with her and takes part in the day by day acceptance that Jane must go through.

I'll be honest, at first I hated Stacey.  I thought she was a shallow and annoying dingbat.  She's grown on me, though, and now she's one of my favorite characters.

Terri

Terri is Jane's assistant at the law firm.  She's also great for comic relief on the show.  She, like the rest of the characters, don't have any idea that Jane is not the old Jane that they knew.  Terri knows that there's something different about Jane, but she's quick to excuse it as some strange side effect of the "amnesia" she suffered after being shot. 

Terri is a snarky character and she doesn't like Kim, who also works at the law firm.  I'm with her on that.  Terri is also one of my favorite characters.  

Grayson

Grayson was Deb's fiancé and true love.  Now she has to work with him as Jane and see him going through other relationships.  She can't tell him who she really is, so she's having to hold out and see if he can fall in love with Jane.  Grayson is still madly in love with Deb, so he goes through several relationships seeking what he had with her, all the time using Jane as a friend and confidant, without ever realizing that "Deb" is right in front of him.

Kim

Kim also works at the firm.  She's never very nice to Jane since she's a total snob and dislikes Jane for the way she looks.  I don't like Kim at all, and there have only been a few times that she's inspired even the slightest bit of sympathy in me.  I do feel like the writers are trying to make her a more likable character, but she's still not really getting there for me.  Also, there's just something strange about her face.  It's something in the forehead/eye area that I can't put my finger on.  She kind of reminds me of one of those green cartoon aliens with the odd eyes and face shape...it's probably further added to by the fact that I don't care for her character.

Parker

Parker is the boss at the firm.  He's kind of a secondary character like Kim.  In fact, he has a relationship with her.  I don't dislike him exactly, but he is kind of a jerk.  He works well with Kim, though, and keeps her away from Grayson.  I like him for that.  

There are the ins and outs of the show.  As I said, the main plot is very entertaining, and I think the really cool guest stars that they bring on make the show even better.  I've seen a lot of people that I like on there including Delta Burke, Liza Minnelli, Leisha Hailey, Cybill Shepherd, and many others.  It's a great show.  If you haven't seen it, then you need to watch it!  

And here is a little illustration of what I was saying about Kim...

Lip Gloss

Lip Gloss

Obsession Level: It's Absolutely Everywhere!

I don't know when my obsession with lip gloss started, but it's one that I'm sure I've had since Junior High.  I would challenge anyone that you cannot open a single drawer in my house or look in any bag that I own and not find at least one tube or pot of lip gloss.  It's impossible.  

Now mind you that I'm talking about lip gloss, lip balm, or chapstick...not lipstick.  I don't have anything against lipstick, but I feel like it gets everywhere, is harder to get off of cups and such, gets on your teeth, and is often too strong of a color.  I tend to wear bolder eyeshadow colors, so that means that I like to tone it down on my lips to avoid looking like a Barbie doll.  

I could write reviews for lip gloss products.  In fact, if they'd send me the  product free, that would be a great hobby.  I haven't gotten that gig yet, so I decided to share some of my favorites and review them for you here.  Mind you this isn't a complete list of all the glosses that I have tried, that would take months, but it hits some of the high notes.  

Before we begin, and to put things in perspective, I just collected all the lip gloss out of ONE of my purses and from around my computer area.  There are 17 different kinds of lip gloss, chapstick, or lip balm piled in front of me.  When I go to a store, I seldom allow myself to go down the make up aisle because I will not leave the store without some new purchase.  It even taunts me at the checkout when they put various lip products there.  I should go to weekly meetings about this addiction.  So here we go:

1) MAC Lip Balm (pictured above):

I adore this lip balm.  It's my current favorite.  It's tinted, and there are a variety of shades, so you can have a little color, but it's nothing over the top.  It's got a soft texture and it actually tastes good so you don't mind if it gets on your teeth.  The only down side to it is that it comes in a pot, and that means you have to apply it with your finger.  If you're OK with that, though, then you'll love this.  It's a little expensive (because it's MAC), but it's totally worth it.  I also have some of the MAC gloss in the tube (with the little brush thingy).  I love the color that it provides, but it does get a little sticky to me and that feeling can be annoying.

2)  Burt's Bees Lip Balm

This is an absolute must have product if you get chapped lips.  They have a ton of varieties, but the basic "chapstick" type is the only real kind of chapstick that I ever use.  I'm never without at least three tubes of this.  It has a nice minty smell and tingles a little, which probably doesn't mean anything, but I think it means it's working.  I also have this in the little metal can, but the tube is much less messy since you don't have to use your fingers.  

3)  Burt's Bees Super Glossy Natural Lip Shine

While we're on Burt's Bees, we can also talk about their lip shine.  Basically it's a gloss.  It's got the same moisturizers as the regular lip balm, but it's got a silky texture and it comes in a variety of colors.  I like this gloss just to wear as a gloss, but since it lacks the tingle of the regular chapstick type Burt's, I don't feel like it does a great job of moisturizing my lips when they're really chapped.

4)  Rosebud Lip Balm

My grandmother got me started with this lip balm when I was little.  She always had it around and I love it.  The tin of lip balm travels with me everywhere.  Again, you have the whole problem of using your finger, but it's great.  The strawberry smell is pleasant too.  It's got somewhat the texture of Vaseline, but it moisturizes well and your lips are very soft when you use it often.  It used to be easier to find (think nearly every register), but not it's harder to get.  Luckily you can order it online and have it sent to you.  

5)  Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Balm

Someone gave me this as a gift once (yes, people give me lip products as gifts) and I love it.  It's the "by the computer" lip balm.  I keep it there to keep applying it throughout the day.  Again, there's the whole finger thing, but it does make your lips super soft.  The downside to it is really that it basically seems like Vaseline.  It has the same texture, a similar smell, and it DOES NOT taste good so you want to avoid licking it off at all costs.  Maybe that's why they made it that way. I do like this a lot, but I have to admit that it's not something I'd probably buy for myself.  I'd use that money to buy one of the balms that I like better.

6)  Estee Lauder High Gloss

One Christmas I got a random gift from my grandmother.  It was a complete make up set from Estee Lauder.  Let me just say that I loved everything in that case, and still have some of it left.  One part of the case contained three tubes of different color gloss.  I love everything about this gloss.  It has an interesting smell (the taste isn't great, but it's not gross), and the colors are light and pretty.  Plus, it remains shiny the entire time you're wearing it.  It just sort of makes me feel glamorous.  There's actually a story that goes with this too.  One winter I was carrying one of the tubes with me everywhere to wear it all day.  I kept it in my coat pocket, where I also keep a variety of things.  When I got to work, I wanted to put on my lip gloss, but it wasn't in my pocket so I thought I must have lost it at home.  When I was walking back home, in the parking lot outside my building, I saw my tube of lip gloss, crushed, lying in the snow.  It was a very emotional moment for me.  That being said, this stuff is pretty pricey and I reserve it for special occasions so I don't run out.

7)  MAX Factor Lip Gloss

The love of my Estee Lauder gloss and the need to preserve it led me in search of a cheaper version of the same thing.  This has been quite the search for me and has taken me through a variety of glosses.  I'm sorry to say, though, that I have not found an everyday lip gloss that's quite as extraordinary as the Estee Lauder gloss.  The very first "substitute" that I tried was Covergirl Shineblast.  Epic fail.  Shineblast smells and tastes fine, but it's not shiny at all, despite its name.  It's also very, very sticky.  The second search sent me home with Rimmel London Sweet Jelly.  Nope, failed again.  It doesn't have much of a smell, tastes just like sugar, has zero shine, and despite its declaration to be non-sticky, I found it a little like applying Gorilla Glue to your lips...back to the drawing board.  The third time out was when I found Max Factor Lip gloss.  This lip gloss smells and tastes fine.  It's not very sticky, and it does have a shine, though not quite that of the Estee Lauder gloss.  It's one downfall is that it has a tendency to separate in the tube, so you feel like you're getting only part of your gloss.  I have been through two tubes of it, though, so I'm fairly satisfied with it.

8)  Covergirl Wetslicks

The closest replacement for my Estee Lauder gloss that I have found is this.  The wetslicks smell and taste fine.  They are not sticky and are very shiny.  I feel like they don't have the staying power of the special reserved gloss, but they're cheaper so I can afford to to reapply more often.  Their colors are also nice, and I can afford to test out more colors since they won't break the bank.     I have them in the squeezy tube and also in the tube with the brush.  My current two favorite colors are honey talks (a replacement for my Honey color from E.L.) and Berry Splash (a replacement for the pink gloss that died in the parking lot).  

So there you have it.  My guilty obsession with lip gloss.  I'm really only slightly ashamed of it when I go through my bags like I did and see it all in a great big pile.  It seems a little out of control then, but normally I just see it as liking variety.  What's your favorite lip gloss?  Anything you can recommend?