[The X-Files in the Media]

I have to admit, I am surprised (and very very pleased) about the high ratings.

[Small Talk: The Looooove. The Priiiiiide. Welcome Home.]

I'm going to BroadwayCon in New York this weekend, which means I will be on the road when the premiere airs and won't be able to watch it until Monday. While I'm super excited for BroadwayCon, cannot tell you how disappointing it is not to be online while the show is airing and immediately afterward to participate in the fandom craziness. (Also won't be able to watch the AFC championship game! This has turned out to be the weekend when everything is happening.)

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I watched the first two episodes of Angie Tribeca but I think that show's not for me. I did see The Revenant last week, which is one of those movies that I can appreciate for being extremely well made and I enjoyed it for that reason, but...man, it's just so grim. However, I saw it immediately after The Force Awakens, which I think was probably a bad idea. Because TFA is just so much fun and then The Revenant is a real downer. 

 

How was The Big Short? That's one I'm interested in seeing.

[Pet(s): Photos & Discussion]

Valis is sooooo cuuuuuute!!!!

[Small Talk: Chili's]

And if you do win, how quickly would you leave your job? Would you tell your boss/annoying colleague off before you left, or escape quietly before anyone could hit you up for money?

I do not play the lottery so I will obviously never win. But if I did win a huge amount of money I would definitely leave my job, but I'm pretty sure I'd finish out the school year in progress so that I wouldn't leave my school and students in the lurch. And thankfully there are no coworkers/bosses I feel the need to tell off. 

 

But the thought of leaving my job is a little weird. I'm definitely not the sort of person who lives for my job and I'd always choose not working over working...but I love having students and interacting with them. I find it genuinely difficult to say goodbye to my students who are graduating, but at least there's always another group of students to look forward to. I look forward to retiring, but the idea of never having any more students is tough to wrap my head around and is not a happy thought.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I've been called for Jury Duty three times but only had to report once. The first time I was summonsed by Massachusetts, but it was when I was in college in Minnesota and during the school year, which I guess got me out of it because I didn't reschedule (probably because MN was my official residence at the time). The second time I was summonsed by Minnesota, but it was after I'd already graduated and was back living in Massachusetts, so no go on that one either. The third time I actually did have to report and I was selected for a jury for a really short trial that was done by the end of the day.

 

That was about ten years ago, though, and I haven't been called since. 

[Small Talk: Chili's]

The weather's finally gotten chilly here, frenchtoast. How is it on the coast? We're actually supposed to get a little freezing rain and snow tonight.

We got some snow last night and now it's doing some sort of rain/ice thing. So it's finally gotten cold. But only briefly, because it's supposed to be around 45 for the next couple of days.

 

However, I spent Christmas in Minnesota, and contrary to what the forecast actually predicated it was cold the entire time I was there and snowed twice (but not very much). It was 12ºF on Sunday, so that was chilly. But it was nice to have the feel of winter without having to worry about practicalities since I wasn't at home.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I just saw the new Independence Day trailer.

What?! I didn't even know this was a thing! How on Earth did I miss that?

[Extra Hot Great]

I love the distinction between "best" and "favorite". For years I've told people that my all-time favorite show is The X-Files but that I would never describe it as the best. Though Tara's explanation of why she considers Friends her favorite did make me think maybe it's mine as well. I care a lot more intensely about XF but Friends is definitely the show I've watched the most, probably reference the most, and I think I'm pretty much always in the mood for it, which is definitely not true for XF.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

Just got home from my first Christmas party as a public servant. That is, the first christmas party where you have to pay for everything yourself because everyone would cry if the taxpayers had to pay for us to get 1 day a year for free.. do they not realise I also pay taxes and technically part of my wage ends up paying my salary?

Heh. This is one of those things that I forget is different in other professions. We have an annual holiday party for work and we have to pay $25 to go and then we have to pay for our drinks while we're there and that just seems entirely normal to me. Also probably a good thing, because I think it limits the alcohol consumption.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I selected Sisters as the movie I might see, since I'm confident I'll see it eventually, though probably not anytime soon.

 

I hadn't read or seen anything about the movie Concussion until a week or so ago when I heard someone mention it and I was confused for a moment because there's another movie called Concussion that I've watched and it is quite different. 

[Which Podcasts Fuel Your Listening Pleasure?]

I am struggling with the Gilmore Guys podcasts.  On the one hand, they've interviewed much of the cast and crew of one of my favorite shows of all time with interesting results.  On the other hand, the programs regularly run to 90 or more minutes and are more often than not idiotic.  I have to dig through a lot of bullcrap to get to the diamonds...

Gilmore Guys is a podcast I listen to when I have no unheard episodes of other podcasts and a lot of time. And even then, when I see an episode that's like 2.5 hours (or sometimes THREE!) I groan. And I end up hitting the 15-second skip a lot. Large portions of the podcast are idiotic, I agree, and while Kevin and Demi seem like really nice, genuine guys...they're not funny people for the most part.

 

On the other hand, it was through that podcast that I learned of the Best of Friends podcast, and I like that one a lot better. It's every bit as idiotic, I guess, but I just find the hosts more amusing and they don't tend to go on for 2-3 hours.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

A freaky concoction I've never tried is this egg gondola pizza. I go by this place sometimes for a slice of 'za for lunch. Any of you tried anything like that?

I've seen (and eaten) pizzas with fried eggs on them, but never like that.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I've made something sort of similar to that where you use puff pastry, cook it a little bit so it puffs up, push down the middle and throw some bacon in and crack an egg on top then back into the oven until it's cooked to your liking.

This sounds excellent and I may have to try it.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I would call burgers piled on with lots of goodies "a burger with everything".

With everything or with the works, maybe. But honestly I'm not sure what that would mean. I think it would vary from place to place and there's no particular assortment of toppings that I would consider to be "everything". I mean, if you're keeping it basic I guess that would be lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles. But that seems way more simple than the piled-high Aussie burger sounds.

 

"All the way" means something different in my neck of the woods, and is not food related.

:)

 

I almost never hear of anyone eating beets for any reason, except maybe borscht once in a long while if you're sentimental for your grandma and you have her recipe from the Old Country.

Huh. I eat beets pretty regularly (I usually roast them whole with a little bit of salt and then cut them up, fwiw, but I also sometimes just buy them canned), and also I know I've had conversations with other people about eating beets because we've talked about how difficult it is not to end up dying everything pink in the process of preparing them. 

 

Beet salad exists, but it's not very commonly spoken of or consumed in the circles I live in.

Mmm, beet salad.

 

As for eggs on burgers that's fairly common here, I prefer the eggs to be well done but by default it's usually a fried egg with runny yolk which I don't really understand.. who wants egg yolk running down their arms?

I mean, down my arms, no, but I kind of don't see the point of having the egg if the yolk isn't runny. The yummy runny yolk mixing with the rest of the burger is what makes it good, imo.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

A fried egg on a burger isn't super common, but it's not so unusual. I've seen it on lots of menus and have ordered burgers that have an egg on top. Beet is something I've never heard of being put on a burger, though I would totally try that (I love beets). But putting all of that stuff just seems like it would be impossible to eat!

 

Re: price, for a burger with the works, fish and chips, and two frappes I don't think $31 sounds super expensive, though you could definitely get that meal for cheaper in some places.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I looooove pumpkin pie. Specifically Mrs. Smith's. Usually I'm all about homemade desserts (especially because I enjoy baking) but pumpkin pie is an exception. Mrs Smith's is better than any other pumpkin pie I've ever tried.

So that and mince pie are out two Thanksgiving desserts. I'm actually not sure which I like better oh the two. They're both so good.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

Ooh, I'm totally going to make that caramel apple upside-down cake. I have two gallon-sized freezer bags stuffed to the gills with peeled and sliced apples that I really need to use before they dry out. I'm going to make some pies and crisps over the next month, but I love upside-down cake and that sounds good.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I like people to remember my birthday but I called a "gift truce" years ago-- it's just too much pressure, and people wind up giving each other ridiculous things just so they have something to give.

I basically figured that once I became an adult I wouldn't get gifts from friends anymore and only occasionally from parents or siblings if they happened to see something or think of something to give me. And that's pretty much how it's been. But now I have a group of friends that does give gifts and it can be a little awkward. Like, one of my friends had a birthday dinner last month and I'd spent enough time with this group to know that people would be bringing gifts, so I brought something. But a couple of the people who came hadn't celebrated any birthdays with the group before so they hadn't brought anything other than a card and then felt bad about it. And it's not like the one who was celebrating his birthday cared at all--he swore up and down that he didn't have an expectation of gifts and I think that was the truth--but it still was a little uncomfortable.

 

I just think the gift-pressure is not a good measure of the love value, so I like birthdays being remembered but I don't want to deal with gifts anymore.

That's how I feel. I don't usually do big group celebrations for my birthday just because organizing one is kind of a pain (this year my friends kept emailing/texting asking when we were going to celebrate and I just kept having to let them down because I was too busy) but I think if I did I'd specify that I don't want any gifts. Or actually, I'd probably ask for people to bring something to contribute to the celebration to serve as a gift. That way the folks who feel like they just need to give a gift would still have something to bring with them. But for me it's just the acknowledgement of the occasion that makes me happy. It's nice to know people care. Beyond that...eh. 

[Small Talk: Chili's]

YES, I ATE THEM ALL AND REGRET NOOOOOTHING!

Nor should you! (Though I prefer Mounds myself. I guess I'm not as nutty as you.)

 

I did end up buying Kit Kats as well as Snickers. As I did the last two years I put the bowl out on my step with my porch light on* and there was plenty of candy still left at the end of the night.

 

*I was actually home this year, but I was down in the basement TV room watching X-Files. I turned out all the upstairs lights so it looked like no one was home. It feels a little (or maybe a lot) unfriendly to do so but my doorbell is unreliable so if I actually wanted to answer the door for trick-or-treaters I'd have to stay upstairs and my TV is downstairs. I'd be fine with that if there was a steady stream of kids, but in the past I've gotten like five or six groups over the course of a few hours and staying upstairs that whole time for that few people doesn't really feel worth it.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I haven't actually bought any Halloween candy and I don't know if I'll be home to hand it out (if not I'll just put it out on the step in a bowl, so I'll be buying some anyway) so I'm not positive, but I selected Kit Kats because I usually get those, often along with something else. I don't get a lot of trick-or-treaters at my house and we're not longer allowed to give candy to students, which is how I used to deal with the leftovers. So Kit Kats are something that I like a lot but also won't totally binge on and therefore they make a good choice when I consider that the leftovers will mostly be eaten by me.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

I don't get subscribe to any magazines. There have been some I got in the past--Road and Track, Autoweek, Entertainment Weekly--but I've never kept it up because I find I don't go through them and they just pile up.

[S02.E13: Halloween]

I had a neighbor who worked for Scholastic and handed out books for Halloween. Well, "handed out" in the sense that every surface in her dining room and living room would be covered in books all spread out and sorted by reading age and we could go in and pick out whatever book we wanted. It was awesome. 

 

Other than that, the only non-candy things I really remember getting for Halloween was the occasional juice box, which I loved because when you're walking around in a costume and eating bunches of candy you get thirsty! But I wonder if the folks giving out juice boxes did that because they were trying to provide something a little healthier than candy. I never thought about that as a kid because I was just happy to get something to drink. Whereas if I got raisins I would've been extremely disappointed.

[S02.E13: Halloween]

I only use Twitter for work purposes, so I will throw in my +1 for Raisins here. Not as a snack food on their own (DEFINITELY not for Halloween), but definitely in oatmeal cookies. Love 'em. Oatmeal cookies are okay without them but I like them better with raisins. And I really don't like when people replace raisins with chocolate chips. Chocolate's too strong a flavor and it overwhelms the oaty goodness.

 

But when people bash raisins I'm always reminded of Joon describing them as "humiliated grapes" in Benny and Joon.

[Small Talk: Chili's]

Now all those guys who say they read it for the articles will actually be telling the truth.

I think it's funny how the whole "read it for the articles" thing is such a standard joke, because Playboy actually has good articles! Or interviews, anyway. I've never actually bought Playboy but I have read a handful of interviews from it and found them really good. So...I actually do read it for the articles. (I go elsewhere for naked ladies.)

 

I don't judge when it comes to chocolate- both milk and dark have their places.

I suppose I agree with that, but I think dark has more places than milk.