Breaking News!

(Cafe Rio news, that is!)

A HUGE thanks to Emily for the tip -- if you haven't heard, Cafe Rio now has plans for THREE restaurants in Southern California: Lake Forest, Manhattan Beach, and Costa Mesa! Woot WOOT!!! It's confirmed on the website - they're all "coming soon."

Naturally, after hearing that, my excitement factor skyrocketed, as did my stomach growling. (The ol' tummers is moaning something like, "creeaaamy tomatillooooo dreeeeeessing... raarrrr...".) So, I called the corporate office to verify when the Lake Forest location is scheduled to open (since it sounds like that is the one that is perhaps closest to completion at this point). After double-checking, the operator told me "the second week of December," and then also suggested that I watch the website for the exact day.

So, HEADS UP, SoCal peeps: I will most definitely be making a mini-road-trip down to Lake Forest for the big event, so mark your calendars if you're interested, too!! And coincidentally, my birthday is also during the second week of December, so now I know that the timing of all this is truly divine intervention. Haha... unless construction is delayed, in which case I might make the shocking realization that God's hand is not, in fact, in Cafe Rio (which, until then, I refuse to believe).

Also, if you have ANY news or ANY updates about these proposed locations (like articles or construction photos, or even interviews with sweaty, disinterested construction workers!), then PLEEEEEAAAASE LET ME KNOW!!!

P.S. Lisa, did you know that they're also opening a Cafe Rio in Denver?!

Cabbagey Happiness

Well, it's that time again! CABBAGE SOUP TIME!!! (That is, now that it's finally cooler than 85 degrees here... nevermind the fact that we actually made the cabbage soup on a day that was about 90 degrees.)

My mom has a phenomenal recipe for cabbage soup that I love love LOVE to make in the fall. I know what you're thinking: "Cabbage soup? Ew, Jean. Barf." And even if you're not thinking that, you may be thinking, "Cabbage soup? Why would I make cabbage soup when I can make corn chowder or chili or chicken noodle soup, or any other type of soup that is already proven?"

Well, I'll tell you why -- IT IS SO GOOD!!! Sure, it's full of cabbage, but the combination of the ham, butter, and chicken bouillon makes it so savory and delicious. Plus, using a whole head of cabbage (which the recipe calls for) makes enough soup for plenty of leftovers. So, I highly recommend it, especially with a good loaf of crusty bread. (I like Trader Joe's par-baked filone or baguette, which gives you the added pleasure of getting to practice your kung-fu while the soup is simmering):

So, here's the recipe! My mom has various names for this soup, but I think she likes to call it "Tight Times Cabbage Soup," since it's so inexpensive to make. (The only thing that costs any real money is the ham, if you consider $3-$4 to be "real money.")

Peggy's Tight Times Cabbage Soup

4 Tbsp butter
6 cups finely shredded cabbage (about a head)
2 cups shredded onion (about one large onion)
6 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 lb. ham, diced
1 can lima beans, pureed in blender
1/2 cup raw rice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a big soup pot, saute cabbage and onion in butter until coated and limp. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer about 20 minutes until rice is tender. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

(FYI, and my mom would kill me for saying this, but those lima beans are entirely optional. I exclude them, because they gross me out. But if you're a member of the lima bean fan club, then by all means, toss 'em in!)

ENJOY!!!

We Have Fun

(Have you noticed that I've been blogging a lot lately? I've noticed it, too. I just keep thinking of things that I want to write about, so brace yourself - there's more a-comin'!)

The other night, Sherri (of cinnamon roll fame) hosted a girl's night at her house. So, of course I was totally pumped to go. Y'know why?

(1) I love my friends. (And I know there were some of you fantabulous Pasadena girls who couldn't make it, but just know that I love you, too, and you were missed that night. And there are also many of you who do not live in Pasadena, but just know that I love you and miss you ALL the time.)

(2) I love doing social things without Weston. (Son, believe me, I adore you.) It is just SO much easier and more fulfilling to spend time with girlfriends when we don't have our children. At least for me, if I'm with a friend but watching Weston, I usually can't talk for more than 30 seconds at a time because he's constantly running off. (I often find myself saying over my shoulder, "Uh-huh, I know!" really loudly as I'm running off to keep up with Weston.) And even if he stays in one place, I'm so preoccupied with him that it's hard to conduct a normal conversation. (Does this sound familiar?: "I went to the mall the other day -- honey, don't touch that, it's yucky -- and I saw the funniest thing -- honey, Mommy said don't touch -- and it turned out -- honey, NO, not in your mouth!" etc.) So, it is soooooo nice to spend an evening with friends WITHOUT those adorable, distracting, social-sucks that we call children. (And Weston, really, I love you.)

So, the girl's night at Sherri's place was a really fun time, featuring both raucous laughter and lots of talk of worms (my two ingredients for a great night). It was extra special, too, because Summer printed out several copies of a Halloween banner template (care of this lady), so that we could make pretty, festive banners. I was very happy about this, because my new banner brings my Halloween decor total to a whopping 2.

Plus, people brought AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS sweet treats to share, and Sherri also whipped up her famous wassail. In case you're wondering, I contributed a batch of Paula Deen's cookie dough truffles. I was actually watching the episode where she makes these while eating lunch one day (I usually watch Paula Deen while eating lunch because she comes on right at 12:00), and I could NOT take my eyes off the television. The real things did not disappoint either, you guys. If you love cookie dough and chocolate-covered things, then definitely give this a whirl.

I ended up bringing my camera with me, too. Most of the time, I leave it at home for friendly get-togethers because it can be kind of a chore to lug around. But, it's been a few weeks since I've posted pictures of me with pals, so I decided the other night that it was time once again to document our lovely cuteness before we get all old and weird-looking. You'll also notice that I'm including nicknames for my friends that were decided somewhat arbitrarily:

Karla ("chickens are the devil") and Sherri ("Switzerland")

Summer ("hot armpits") and Jenny ("Sneaky McGee")

Me ("I lick crosswalk buttons") and Lauren ("I hate Utah") (Don't worry, she doesn't really!)

Danielle ("seeeeecret video game player")

Rebecca ("boobs") (hahahaha) and Sherice ("I love potato salad but it makes me want to hurl")

Thanks again for hosting, Sherri!!! YAAAAAAY for girly fun!

The Price IS Right! (Just Not for Me)

Editor's Note: While reading this blog post, I'd love if you could please hum the Price Is Right theme music. Here, I'll get you started: Da-da-dadaaaaa, da-da-dadaaaaa... etc. Thanks.

Hi there! If you're in a rush, here is the abbreviated version of this blog post:

(1) I went to the Price Is Right on Monday.
(2) I was not selected as a contestant, but...
(3) It was still really fun, and
(4) The episode is airing on TV on December 8th.

Now, here's the long story:

Did you know that the Price Is Right is taped on the CBS lot right next to The Grove in L.A.?? I learned that on Monday morning when I drove over there with my fabulous southern girl, Heather, and her husband, sister, and mom. (Her sister and mom were visiting from Louisiana, and since her sister is hands-down one of the most devoted fans of Price Is Right EVER, they got tickets to go to a taping, and happened to have an extra for me. Yay!!)

I have to say, I jumped at the chance to go to the show, and thanks to Tim sacrificing a day of homework for a day of babysitting, I was able to. (Thank you, thank you, my darling!!) Although I haven't been a loyal viewer for a while, I used to watch the show all the time when I was younger. Actually, I was probably irrationally obsessed for a little while, and I went through a brief phase where I knew all the games and most of the right answers. (For Heather's sister, Kate, on the other hand, that was the bulk of her childhood. She actually kept a book of episode summaries. Yeah... HARDCORE.)

Anyway, Heather and her three family members picked me up early in the morning, and we got to The Grove by about 7:45 AM. (We played practice pricing games in the car. You have to be prepared just in case!!) We didn't need to be at the studio until 8:30, so we hung out at the farmer's market and chatted about how nervous and excited we were. When we headed over to the CBS lot, a security guard checked our ID at the front gate, and then we walked to a large waiting area (Waiting Area #1, the first of three) where Heather checked in our group. Then we stood around and waited, while the pages in the red coats called people's ticket numbers. I chatted with a few very nice people, including a lady in a pink "Survivor" t-shirt (who ended up being next to us in line) and a bald guy in a bright green shirt (who also ended up being next to us in line, and who was there for the 8th time!). Oh, and people had AWESOME t-shirts. I didn't wear a special shirt, but I saw some pretty witty ones.

Finally they called our little group to join the line, and we waited again. After a while, a page (Adam the Nametag Guy) approached us and wrote our nametags for the show. We peeled off the backs and stuck them to our shirts. Then we continued to wait. Eventually we got to the front of the line to get our picture taken in front of a Price Is Right themed background (which they said we could view and purchase online if we wanted).

After the fake photo, we moved to Waiting Area #2. There, a red-coated page handed us a number card. We had to fill it out and return part of it, but keep the actual number. (They told us to stick it to our shirts next to the nametag, and then we removed it once we were in the studio just minutes before the show started taping.) That number was basically our identification number as an audience number. They also handed us a white card, on which we had to write something "interesting" about ourselves. I assumed it was to help them pick their contestants, but I wonder if anyone ever actually read those cards. When we were done, we turned it back in also. Meanwhile, another page was walking up and down the rows, taking a photo of each audience member. Overall, it was all very exciting at the time, but in retrospect (having NOT been selected), it seemed like a lot of nerve-wracking hoopla.

We spent most of the waiting time chatting with the awesome people around us, while feeling more and more nervous. That's because we were waiting for our turn to be "interviewed" (for about 10 seconds) by a producer, who we could see at the other end of the waiting area. Finally, it was our turn, and about 13 of us walked over to the producer (Stan the Perky Producer), where he walked down the line and asked us questions. He was very perky. VERY perky. When he got to me, he asked me what I did, and I said, "I'm a real estate researcher and a SAHM!" He didn't know what a "SAHM" was, so I told him, and he said he'd never heard that before. He said, "Well, thanks for coming to the show, SAHM!" I laughed heartily as he moved to the next person. (Websites say that you're supposed to be really excited and outgoing when you meet the producers, because supposedly it increases your chances of being selected. But really, you're pretty much just sucking up the whole time. Stan has the best job ever. Two shows tape each day, so 600 people suck up to him every day and laugh at everything he says, in the hopes of getting on the show. AWESOME.)

After cheering and clapping (on Stan's command), we moved to Waiting Area #3 (moo) and finally exhaled because we had all been so nervous and giddy about the mini-interview. We checked in cell phones (if we had them), and then sat and chatted with the people around us some more. At one point, Bald 8th-Time Guy told us to look beyond the waiting area, where a little red Mini Cooper had just parked. He said that was Drew Carey's car, and sure enough, the door opened and out stepped Mr. Carey. (Of course we all screamed and waved, and he waved back at us several times before walking into the studio.) By this time, it was almost noon, and at precisely 12:00, the pages opened the doors and we started filing into the studio. And guess where I got to sit.... GUESS. Yours truly scored the BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE!!! The very, very, far back corner on the left-hand side!!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!! Hahahaha. Okay, whatever. As it turns out, the studio and stage are actually much, much smaller than they look on TV. And it's very colorful and cheesy-looking in there, too. LOVE IT.

After we were all seated and situated, Rich (the announcer) came out and welcomed us and gave us a few tips. (For instance, if your name is called to "come on down," you might not be able to hear it because it will be so loud. So, look for the two guys on the stage holding signs, because your name will be written on them. Also, if your name is called and you're bidding on an item in Contestants Row, don't look back at the audience for help because that's annoying for viewers. Just bid and make it quick. Later, you can look at the audience for help during your actual game.) He was funny and friendly.

Eventually, Drew Carey came out, and of course he's hilarious and very nice. He chatted with audience members or contestants at each commercial break, and even poked fun at some of the products. The show started, they instructed us when to scream and clap (almost all the time), the contestants were named, and it all got underway.

Overall, it's really fun to be in the audience at the Price Is Right. You are standing and screaming and clapping so often that as soon as it goes to commercial, you need to sit down and take a break. (Seriously, it would get almost silent at those moments because we were all exhausted.) You get to yell price suggestions to the contestants on stage, and what I didn't know is that the producers encourage that. There was one guy on stage who kept yelling, "How much does it cost?!!" at us, so that we'd start yelling suggestions to the contestant. Another funny thing is just the stage itself. On TV, it looks like it's a big empty stage, but in reality, there are people ALL OVER the stage while they're filming. There are several cameras, and a couple people manning each one; there are producers holding clipboards; there are guys holding cords and wires; there are people trying to get the audience to be louder or happier... there are LOTS of people on stage at all times, but they just stay out of the eye of the camera. Because there were so many people blocking the actual happenings of the show from us, we in the audience spent most of our time watching the TV screens above us. Hahaha! It reminds you that it is not about the studio audience; it's really all about the viewers at home.

There was also a palpable electricity in the air because everyone in the audience was hoping to get selected to "come on down" and be a contestant. Unfortunately, I never did, but even so, I think I might've gotten on camera a couple times (waaaaaaaay in my waaaaaay back corner), which made it all worthwhile. Plus, it's fun to scream and yell and get excited, and it was really fun to see and hear Drew Carey, too.

Eventually, the final name was called to "come on down," and we all relaxed a little (and probably felt a little disappointed, too). We watched the Showcase Showdown, and then it was all over! The lights dimmed and we started filing back out again. It felt so quick! (Especially after all that waiting.) As we were making our way out, Rich asked us to be silent a couple times because he needed to re-record a couple of his announcements that he flubbed during the show.

All in all, it was a great time, that was made even better by the fact that I got to spend it with Heather and her awesome fam (Josh, Kate, and Darla). The only downer was that Heather's sister, Kate, didn't get selected. SHE SHOULD HAVE. But, hopefully next time. And maybe someday it will be me, too!! Until then, if you're interested, tune in to the show on Tuesday, December 8th. I'll be sitting in the far back corner on the left-hand side (if you're on the stage and facing out). YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!! The End.

My Womanhood Has Been Feeling Threatened

As long as I've been in a relationship with Tim, my womanhood has felt slightly threatened. Here's why: he's a FANTASTIC baker! Although there are a few things that I like to bake (simple things, like cake-mix bundt cake and cake-mix cookies), he's really the baker of the household. He delights us with sweet treats every week or two, and he can even make chocolate chip cookies (really GOOD chocolate chip cookies) without having to follow a recipe.

So naturally, I've felt a little displaced, because isn't the wife supposed to be the one who makes the beautiful, scrumptious cookies? Unfortunately, for as long as we've been married, whenever I try to bake chocolate chip cookies, they ALWAYS spread thin on the baking sheet and get overly darkened edges. Tim lovingly refers to them as my "cow flop cookies." Really, they're just so sad-looking. I don't know why, but it always happens.

The other night, in an effort to reassert my supposedly innate feminine ability to bake perfect cookies, I decided to give it another go. In order to prevent any cow flops, I took two important steps: (1) I followed the good ol' Tollhouse recipe, so that I would be kept on the strait and narrow; and (2) I busted out a secret weapon in place of the chocolate chips: Trader Joe's mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups!!

Can a peanut butter cup possibly get more darling than this? I think not. Plus, I have heard many people rave about these little delights, so I knew they'd be the perfect complement to my cookies.

So, I mixed and mixed and baked and baked. Tim waited with bated anticipation, teasing me occasionally about my knack for producing cow flop cookies. But when they were all finished, guess WHO SHOWED WHO!!!

Tim showed me. The cow flops are back again.

Hahaha!! EVERY TIME!! Why?? They're so ugly looking! Why do they get so flat and browned around the edges?? WHHHHYYYYYYY???!!!!

But don't fret; there's a happy ending. For you see, Tim still ate one:

And he still really liked it:

... because fortunately, they were still really tasty (especially with those melty little peanut butter cups!). Okay, womanhood restored, at least a little bit. But I think we'll just make it Official Team Anderson Policy that Tim continues to handle the chocolate chip cookies. :-)

Puddles

On Wednesday, Weston learned a very important equation:

rain = puddles = OH MY HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!

We captured this moment of realization for your viewing pleasure. I promise, you will NOT regret turning up your volume. Get ready for the stompin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin'!



P.S. This one's for you, UNCLE BRETT.

Lovin' the Farmer's Market

I was never particularly interested in farmer's markets until I moved to Southern California. Then I discovered that they're actually REALLY fun. Plus, they're all over the place around here, and many times, they're a pretty big to-do. (One exception: the sad, scrawny little farmer's market that opened several months ago, just about two blocks from our house on a vacant lot. Despite my excitement, it did not last long.)

Our favorite, by far, is the Monrovia Farmer's Market (Fridays from 5-9 PM). Monrovia is a charming town that is about a 15-minute drive from us, and every Friday night, the main street (Myrtle Avenue) is blocked off to make room for the produce stands, craft/retail tables, and food booths that comprise the farmer's market. Here's a recap of one of our recent visits!

This is looking north on Myrtle Avenue, with the San Gabriel Mountains in the background:

Weston is a pretty good farmer's market trooper, as long as we keep him loaded up on snacks and free fruit samples:
"Tim, take a picture of me looking at the peaches." (That's how pictures of me usually come to fruition.)

One of the vendors at the Monrovia Farmer's Market is Dolce Monachelli's, which makes these scrumptious, moist bundt cakes and then sells them online and at farmer's markets all over the area. The little ones are $3.00 each, or 4 for $10.00. SOOOOO GOOD!!! (If you're not interested, you MUST at least try their samples!):

At the top of the street, there's a small "family festival area" with a petting zoo, pony rides, and inflatable bouncy structures. We never "pony up" for anything (HAHA), but Weston does enjoy watching the animals from his stroller.

Interestingly, one of the highlights of the farmer's market isn't even part of the market, per se. It's an amazing toy store called Twinkle Twinkle Little Store, which is located along the street:

We ALWAYS stop in there, and Weston is usually content to stay for a half hour or longer. Twinkle Twinkle Little Store is a beautiful shop with lots of higher-end toys (like Plan and Melissa & Doug), and with LOTS of display tables and things that he can actually play with. I love it. I LOVE THIS STORE:

There's even a wee piano:

And a big corner of awesome food/kitchen toys:

Sigh. I love that store. Anyway, that evening we stopped at the Jake's Roadhouse booth for some grub. They grill and barbecue the meat right out front, so it smells SO mouth-wateringly GOOD there:

I ask him for ONE nice picture, and... well, you know what happens:

After we ate, we checked out the live band for a little while:

And JUST as we were about to leave, we spotted this stand:

Holy apple, Batman:

And did we get one? (Is our name Anderson?):

(I've decided that that's how I'll take my apples from now on. Drenched in chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, and nuts until they're twice their original size.)

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to the farmer's market! We were treated to a lovely sunset from the freeway:

The General Conference Tradition: Official Announcement

Remember how I was looking for a General Conference tradition for our family? Well, I think I've found it: accepting and DEVOURING the soft, sweet, gooey cinnamon rolls made by a couple of friends of ours!

Seriously, Sherri and Josh are awesome (although heads-up, they are private bloggers!). They have been graciously delivering homemade cinnamon rolls to us for the past couple General Conferences, simply because they are very thoughtful and very generous people.

(Interesting side note #1: Sherri was one of the nurses who took care of me after I had Weston! Yay! And side note #2: Sherri also serves in the nursery at church, so Weston, who met her when he was a day old, also gets to hang out with her every Sunday. Extra yay!!)

So, we love it. And we love them. S&J, we can't thank you enough! (But we can try!) THANK YOOOOUUUUU!!!!!

(If baking cinnamon rolls is their family's General Conference tradition, then eating them can certainly be ours... right?) :-) Hooray!

Lots O' Tidbits

Y’know how your blogging mojo comes and goes sometimes? (Or is yours permanent? Because as much as I love blogging, mine definitely waxes and wanes.) Well, I completely lost my blogging motivation last week, and I didn’t have the willpower to compose anything. (Shocking!!) I think it’s because I was majorly stressed out and depressed, but fortunately that’s passed for now. I don’t know why it passed; I think I just remembered (once again) that everything will work out when we are faithful. (Easy, right? It’s easy being Mormon.) Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. That’s my warm blanket, right there.

So, now I’m back at the ol’ blog! I don’t have any actual stories to recount or experiences to photo-document, so I’ll just share a bunch of random thoughts and tidbits from my life of late:

The weather is FINALLY starting to cool down!!! It was 90 degrees a couple days ago, but today I think it only reached 80. And tomorrow it’s only supposed to go up to 70! (At what age did talking about the weather result in such WIDE-EYED EXCITEMENT on my part??!!)

It’s General Conference weekend again! Yay!! Weston was so well-behaved this morning that Tim and I were able to watch the entire Saturday morning session on the computer. While we were watching, we decided that we need to institute some sort of General Conference tradition to observe every April and October. So, what do YOU do for General Conference? Do you bake homemade cinnamon rolls? Do you have a picnic? Do you take a scenic drive? Do you put on a play, reenacting excerpts of pioneer history? Do you have a family slumber party? Please enlighten me. We need a good tradition. :-) Thanks!

This past Monday, Tim and I started (for good this time) our Monday night tradition of Family Home Evening. (We used to have it when we were newly married, and we tried it a few times when Weston was really little, but it kind of fizzled over the summer when Tim was gone until 8:30 every night.) We talked about being a child of God, sang a hymn, colored a little, and ate some Joe Joe's. Short and sweet. I’m really grateful for FHE, and I’m grateful that we’re going to do it regularly, and I’m especially grateful that we started it just in time to feel encouraged by Elder Bednar’s talk on consistency, instead of guilty. (Haha!)

And now for a few Weston anecdotes:

Y’know how Weston is always obsessed with something? Well, right now it’s Toy Story, and especially his little Woody doll that I got him at a flea market. He carries Woody around with him everywhere, and he insists on sleeping with it at night. He wants to bring it to bathtime, and he cries non-stop that he isn’t allowed. If he misplaces it, he searches the house and repeatedly asks, “Wuzhy?” until we manage to find it. If he could have it his way, he’d probably keep Toy Story 2 constantly streaming throughout the day. (Why Toy Story 2 instead of Toy Story, you may ask? Toy Story 2 has a shinier box. Like mother like son.)

Weston has become more snuggly lately (to our immense delight). Sometimes when I’m on the couch, he’ll come up with his blankie wanting to be held, and I’ll pick him up and recline a little, and he’ll actually lie on my chest while I rub his back and lean my cheek against his soft little head. He’s never really done this before, and Tim and I LOVE IT. The snuggling usually only lasts 15-20 seconds, but we’ll take what we can get!!

Weston has been joining me on my Costco trips for many months now, but on Friday his presence became very beneficial. I think he has figured out that the sample tables = free food, so he was pointing them out left and right during our shopping trip. A couple times, he spotted sample tables that had escaped me, and he’d point and say “More!” (which actually sounds more like “moyn!” for some reason), and I would turn the cart around and head over. It was great. I like taking on the Costco free samples as a team (and he likes getting to eat Veggie Straws and Three Musketeers).

Like I mentioned, Weston loves Toy Story 2; it’s just one of the DVDs that he is constantly grabbing off the DVD shelf in the hallway multiple times a day. (The lowest shelf of DVDs are those that are Weston-approved – mostly Disney and Pixar movies – since he is tall enough to reach them.) One time, Tim asked Weston to put two DVDs back on the shelf that were in the living room. He carried them into the hallway, attempted to fit them back onto the shelf with the other DVDs, and (realizing he needed more space), began to knock off all the other DVDs on the shelf to make room for the two he was holding.

A not-so-cute thing that Weston is doing right now? Saying that dreaded four-letter word (M-I-N-E) all the time when in the presence of other children. Sometimes he’s holding a toy (whether his or not), and he’ll say “Mine!” at other kids, and then swat at them if they still want it. Other times, he’s on a playground, and he’ll yell “Mine!” if another child even approaches the slide. Sometimes it’s a much more abstract sentiment (like when he’s in the living room with his blankie and yells “Mine!” for no reason). It’s horrible. He’s no good at playdates right now, unfortunately. I’m ready for him to get over it and learn to share.

And now, a few movie and TV musings (because I haven’t done anything interesting this week because Weston’s been sick, so this is what’s interesting in my life right now):

Tim and I watched City of Ember last night. I really liked it! I especially liked the style of the underground city (kind of a grungy art deco), the color schemes, and the costumes (like the main character’s messenger cape). Plus, it was a neat plot – basically the kind of movie that I would have fallen in love with when I was 10. I also love Saoirse Ronan now, and I really want her to play Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movie. Seriously.

Tim and I have started watching two new shows this fall (among our other regulars): Community on NBC and FlashForward on ABC. Community is HILARIOUS. Out of the three episodes so far, I think the premiere was the best, but it’s still really funny overall. It stars Joel McHale from The Soup, and it’s about community college students who form a study group (and then let the wit fly!!).

FlashForward, on the other hand, is a drama starring Joseph Fiennes from Shakespeare in Love. We’re still trying to figure out whether we like it. We LOVE the premise (that everyone on earth passes out for two minutes at the same time, during which they have telling visions of the very same moment in the future). But, I’m not very fond of some of the unrealistic plot developments, or the just-plain confusing plot developments, or the hackneyed melodrama. So, the jury’s still out on this one. (Interestingly, starting this Thursday, both shows are going to be broadcast at the same time, so I guess we'll need to make up our minds! I choose Community. But, maybe I’ll keep watching FlashForward online.) What new shows do you love or hate?? Do tell!!

Finally, FUN WITH GOOGLE! (Thanks to Tim for sharing!)

Go to Google, start typing in these search topics, and see the suggestions that appear beneath the search box:

"I like" (check out the first one)

"I'm terrified" (check out the first one)

"When will J" (check out the second one)

Hahahahaha! Why....?