And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I love me some Friday Night Lights.

(oh, god, I cried like a baby. A lot.)

But really quickly before I dash out the door:

The Seattle Times wants FNL back for Season 2!

Okay. I'm about to be late. (Having to work at 7am is just unnatural).

I've been housesitting for the last three weeks and have been internet-less for almost the entire time. And it's so hard! Sometimes I could check my email on the fly at work, but I haven't responded to an email in weeks. I am so far behind that I would think I couldn't keep up, but then I finally fell victim to the crud sweeping Seattle, and am stuck home with a general feeling of crap.

Bleck.

But - silver linings! I did my taxes today, and I'm getting a refund. A big refund. A $1,200 refund! *dances with joy*

Not that I enjoy letting the government have that much of my money in the first place, but it sure is nice to get it all back in a nice lump sum.

Fun stuff: Watch Friday Night Lights! A lovely pimp post for all your wonderful folks tired of hearing me blab about this FANTASTIC show and yet still oddly curious. iTunes has the pilot for free - chiggy-check it out! (you know you want to!)

Hey, mkwhite, 25 for $25 is on and guess which restaurant is participating? Nishino's! Wanna go eat some crazy expensive sushi for cheap cheap cheap?!

This has been the week of people "understanding my minority experience". I've had three conversations in less than a week with people telling me "This one time, I was the only white person, surrounding by (Black, African, Chinese) people, and I realized that this is how people like you feel every day." I never know how to react to that. I always feel a certain frustration and pessimism when it comes to race relations in America. Like no matter how people try, maybe we really can't get along. Maybe we'll never be able to understand each other. Or maybe it's just too much effort to try. Or trying won't do anything except 'stir-the-pot' and most people would just prefer to not make waves thank-you-very-much.

I usually avoid 'race episodes' of tv shows, because they're so simplistic. Or they're simply bad. But FNL doesn't do simple. Or bad. And watching Smash graduate from the "don't make waves" school of thought was awesome. Mrs. Coach blew me away with all of her disappointment and sadness and shock at how quickly the school disintegrated. And the arguments/thoughts voiced in her forums are ones I've heard in so many "race forums", formal and informal.

They even tied it into Jason's struggles to be a normal student - "No one expects it of you". And God, how heartbreaking to be told everyone assumes you can't do something - especially if it's true?

Construction down the street is shaking my entire apartment. And I have a scratchy throat and sore legs from too much treadmilling. Everyone at work has some nasty virus with sinus infections, and I don't want to get sick. Maybe if I sauna for a while it'll knock the yuck out? Hmmm. Sauna ... nice ...

I am not usually a softy. But man, this show makes me cry. Every time. ( But damn! Tyra's got layers! )

On a completely different subject, how long can you live off ice cream and chocolate sauce? I've got an apartment full of food and for some reason, and it's all I feel like eating. Hmmm ....

Finally caught last nights FNL, and I just cannot understand how it can make me laugh cry within five minutes.

( Actually, I do understand. )

This is the longest post I've ever made about TV, which should just show you how much I love this show and why you should watch it. (and NBC.com still has all epsidoes online for free!)

Crazy day. Too many hospitalized animals, not enough cages, pumps or people to care for them all. Rough, rough day.

But, there was a shiny spot. See, one of my doctors is a Broncos fan. And while the 49ers didn't make it into the playoffs, we beat the Broncos on New Years Eve and knocked them out of the playoffs. I told him if his team won that I would take anything he dished out with a smile, as I've been talking football smack all season long.

But my team won. So I did what every good person does. I made a sympathy card for him. It was beautiful. It had gold cursive on the front reading: An Expression of Sympathy.

And on the inside, it had a nice thought too, but he couldn't see it, because I printed out game photos and glued them all over. Josh Brown celebrating after the game winning field goal. Frank Gore dodging a Bronco for a big run. And a sad Bronco linebacker, shoulders slumped in defeat, walking off the field. And on the bottom, I taped a headline: Broncos Out.

It was pure genius. And while some people accused me of being cruel (moi? over football?! no!!!), he was a great sport and thought it was hilarious. And I still have a job, which is nice too. :)

Speaking of football, went out to dinner with C. tonight and totally forgot to tape my new addiction: Friday Night Lights. Ack! The pain! The disappointment! The sadness!

School starts tomorrow ... (slump)

Thanks to musesfool, I have a huge television addiction. Friday Night Lights. Emotionally compelling and thought provoking, and so much more than the vapid teen drama I thought it would be. It made me cry and laugh and feel. The football is really just a bonus. I can't say enough about Kyle Chandler, or the gritty realism of small town Texas without any smarmy stereotypes or manufactured storylines.

Guh.

So, pimpage: NBC has the episodes for free online, and there's a new episode on Wednesday at 8pm. (Although I really think you might need to watch from the beginning).

Movies ... well, I haven't really watched much, although my father and I stumbled to a late night showing of Night at the Museum on Christmas night (worn out after an entire day of sister drama) and laughed until we cried.

But the main reason for this post? Another ( To Be Read list )