When I was a teenager and in my early 20s, I had loads o' good clean fun with my friends on the weekends: Hide & Seek in the Dark (which was broken up by the cops), mosquito patrols in nearby trendy downtown areas, game nights, going to the movies, concerts, out to dinner, staying out to 3 a.m. doing various other shenanigans. Now, though, I find my Friday nights are a lot more...elderly. Here's a sampling of my recent Friday night capers:

Rearrange furniture. Thrilling.

Clean. Because I know I'll be able to relax the rest of the weekend when the casa is in good order.

Watch TV on DVD. Tonight's feature: Battlestar Galactica, FTW!

Drink a homemade cocktail on my couch. To unwind rather than to cut loose.

Snuggle. With the mister, the baby, and the puppies. Maybe not sexy, but definitely nice.

Write/read blog posts. Catching up before the weekend. Blogging is awesome, but blogging on Friday night is borderline lame.

I could use some ideas to mix things up. So what're you up to on Friday nights?

Posted by Erin of The Fierce Beagle

I've been a movie fanatic for years, but lately I've come across a few fairly recent but highly under-publicized Movies That Could Change Your Life.

The Flying Scotsman. A bipolar Scottish cyclist goes for a world-record on a bike made of old washing machine parts. So. Good.

In America. A contemporary Irish family emigrates to New York. At the end I asked Noah, through tears, "Are you crying too?" His response: "No [sob]!"

Music Within. My uncle has cerebral palsy, and Michael Sheen absolutely rocked my face off as a man with cerebral palsy. In my opinion, he outdid Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot. Oh, and Ron Livingston = Also Amazing.

Before Sunset. Apparently this is a sequel to Before Sunrise, but dude you can watch this as a standalone work of dialogue genius.

Once. This actually won an Oscar for best song in 2006, but I didn't see it until last year. It's been called the best music film of our generation, and I believe it.

Any hidden gems you'd like to share?

Posted by Erin of The Fierce Beagle

When I cut out pig, cow and bird from my diet last October, it prompted a gradual, but profound change in my attitude toward food, my diet and fitness.  Probably the biggest thing I've learned is that when it comes to caring for and demanding the best from your body, take everything one moment at a time.  Here's a few small victories I've learned to congratulate myself on over the past few months.

1.  Saying no to the office "treat"--At my work, there's a running joke that newbies gain a "freshman fifteen" during their first few months here.  It'd be hard not to, what with free breakfasts, cookies, birthday's and celebrations happening at least twice a week (seriously, it's ridiculous).  Sometimes it's easy in these situations to say to yourself, "Just one won't hurt," or, "It's her birthday!  I have to celebrate!"  I've found, however, that saying no even just every other time there's a treat is a small victory.  EAT THAT, DELICIOUS BIRTHDAY CAKE!

2.  Getting right back on the wagon after you fall off--I've learned that no day is "ruined" by one bad choice (though I'd argue that donuts are ALWAYS a good choice).  What I've learned to do instead is see that poor choice for what it is (maybe I was PMS-ing, or maybe I needed a little indulgence, or hell, maybe I just wasn't paying attention) and then I pretend it never happened.  I go about my day as if I had eaten healthy the whole time.  Believe me, this is a much better choice than what I used to do...which is say, "SCREW IT!  THIS DAY IS OVER.  I'M HAVING ICE CREAM.  TWICE.  AND BEER."

3.  "Just five minutes"--Sometimes I spend the last hour at work arguing with myself about my workout.  "But I'm soooo tired!" I'll whine, to which I'll reply, "But your thighs are really jiggly!"  If I'm really in a sour mood about it, I bargain with myself:  "Just five minutes and then you can stop."  Well!  If that isn't the best little trick I've learned!  Half the battle is just forcing myself to get my workout gear on and get moving.  And once I'm moving, well hell, why don't I make five minutes into ten or twenty?

So!  What are some of your little victories that make you proud of yourself?  (They don't have to just be about your health!  Like, sometimes I just congratulate myself for remembering to turn my library books in on time.)

Posted by The Naked Redhead

Oh don't look at me like that. The only thing greater than bringing a dude with a Wikipedia entry back to life for a little jam session is having a great parting shot afterwards.

Last night as I was wading through mountains of dirty laundry on the floor, and I thought to myself: I wish I had some place where I could just toss this and not have to look at it any more. And so began my list of things I'd have in my house if I were rich.

A laundry chute. No more piles of laundry on my bedroom floor. With the added bonus of throwing funny and/or inappropriate things down there for laughs. Because I wouldn't be handling the laundry, that would be...


A housekeeper/grandmotherly cook. Someone along the lines of Hannah from Little Women. More like a family member who magnanimously does everything for you.

A dumbwaiter. I don't have stairs in my current home, but I imagine lugging stuff up and down stairs would be a pain in the rear. Also, my housekeeper could send up my brekky so I could eat it in bed.

A lagoonish pool. So this one isn't useful per se, but I'm a California girl at heart. I need a body of water nearby, and my kid's paddle pool isn't cutting it.

What would you have in your house if money was no object?

Posted by Erin of The Fierce Beagle

You know what I kinda despise?  The old practice of having to say hello to co-workers you barely know as they approach you on their way to somewhere else.  And then you have to TIME the hello, because you don't want to say it too early (which may prompt small talk) or too late (which makes you seem awkward or rude).  What I'd really like to say is:  NOTHING.  Or maybe pretend I saw a pretty bird or something.  Here are a few other things I'd like to be able to say, but probably can't (or definitely shouldn't):

1.  "I haven't had my coffee yet"--Much like that dude in the McDonald's commercial, I would like to use this line on chipper morning people until at least 11 a.m. in the morning.  In an ideal world, they'd immediately say, "Oh!  I'm so sorry!  That must be terrible!  I'll come back later." and then they'd tiptoe away quietly.  Siggghhh....
2.  "You are a nasty, nasty child, and I dislike you very much"--Um, apparently, people don't like when you say these kinds of things to their children, even if those children are screaming bloody murder, hitting or biting their parents and siblings, or giving you a dirty look for no reason.  And, honestly, I could somewhat forgive a child's bad behavior in a grocery store, but NOT in a coffee shop or library, where it's supposed to be quiet.  YES, I'M AN OLD HAG-CURMUDGEON THING.  I haven't had my coffee yet.
3.  "You look ridiculous"--There are some people that can carry off crazy hair and make-up and over-the-top trends with ease.  Usually, these people are in the habit of changing their look regularly, and they have a sense of who they are.  It's the people that try trends and miss the mark that make me roll my eyes so far into the back of my head I can see my brain stem.  Those are TIGHTS, not LEGGINGS you're wearing.  You are PANTSLESS. 


OK, spill!  What are some things YOU'D like to say but probably can't (or definitely shouldn't)?

Let's get one thing straight: in my grannyish heart, the only thing more irksome than bad grammar is the kind of galling jackassitude it takes to correct total strangers on their grammar. Please don't think I'm that dude. But ever since the day when I was 19 and decided to figure out "who"/"whom" for once and for all, I've been a zealot for reforming errors of my grammatical slash lexical ways. Here are a couple little linguistic snafus I've spotted in my own vernac -- and sometimes see even my word-lovin' counterparts occasionally mess up.

I once met a really cool girl who for more than a decade kept a notebook full of words she loved. There were some beauts in there, and it got me feeling like a real underachiever. Listing some of my favorite words hasn't helped me feel any more sophisticated, and you'll see why. However, I find all of them very useful.



Sneeze. I have a decade-long pen pal and we'd often use the interjection (sneeze) after a sarcastic remark in lieu of (cough). Because "sneeze" is way better written.

Butt head. I first heard this insult on The Wonder Years, and instantly fell in love. I've mostly graduated to the more mature "buttmunch," but still find a well-placed "butt head" works wonders.

Dingus. Another word for whatchamacallit, also useful as a slightly dirty sounding replacement for "idiot."

Farty-toot. Okay, so this is not a real word, but my brother at the age of three called me this because it was the worst sounding name he could come up with. It's still in use within the family.

So, any immature words you'd like to work into conversation more often?

Posted by Erin of The Fierce Beagle

Yup, that's right, I'm a Virgo.  I love lists, cleanliness and being right (which also includes helping others be "not wrong").  I'm in the process of making some pretty big decisions for my life, and of course that means I worry the issue like a dog with a bone.  Here's my (crazy, neurotic) process:

1.  Get an idea.
2.  Think about idea all the time.  Make pros and cons list.  Organize a drawer or edit your friend's resume to relax after long day of thinking of idea and list making.
3.  Begin researching idea, including any and all related side ideas, caveats and possible scenarios.  Clean bathroom.
4.  Once thorough knowledge has been gained about idea and side ideas, formulate a back-up plan.  Possibly make spreadsheet to begin categorizing all ideas and back-up plans.
5.  Research back-up plan, make pros and cons list.  Correct a stranger's grammar.
6.  Talk idea over in depth with trusted confidant.  Since you're both Virgo's, discuss sorry state of crooked pictures on wall.
7.  Talk idea over in depth with partner.  Try to remember that he is not a Virgo and is likely somewhat frightened of the giant thesis (complete with Works Cited page) you just handed him.
8.  Write about idea in journal, remember yet another side idea, caveat and possible scenario.  Take break to go to chiropractor to address stress-related headaches.
9.  Lather, rinse, repeat until comfortable with Plan A for Making Idea a Reality.
10.  And last, but not least, work, work, work to make idea happen.

Yay for Virgos!  We're a crazy bunch.  How do you work out ideas?
Posted by The Naked Redhead

No matter how great the original version of a song is, there is usually something to be gained from a completely different take. A clever out-of-genre cover might emphasize some gorgeous lyrics that were glossed over in the original, capitalize on interesting rhythms, or just sound really, really good. Here are a couple I think are worth a listen:

The Mountain Goats covering "The Sign" by Ace of Base: Guys, let me lay this down straight. If I knew I had only four minutes of hearing left before being plunged into an eternal auditory void? Screw the ringing of bells and the sound of children laughing -- I'd feel privileged to spend them listening to an aging indie rocker bleating saccharine '90s pop lyrics. This is probably the most magical song ever recorded.

The Baseballs covering "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's: The German cover band's Elvis-heavy '50s interpretation manages to render the cloyingly sweet original song diabetic-friendly. Their cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella" also has to be heard to be believed.



Paul Anka swingin' away to Oasis's "Wonderwall": An Oasis song you don't get bored approximately sixteen minutes into? One you can dance to, in fact?! Hold me.



Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covering "Mandy" by Barry Manilow: Yeah, this might mark the first incident in history of pop-punk making anything cooler. But even non-Fanilows have to admit that the maudlin ballad is pretty catchy, once you speed it up a smidge.



Los Colorados rocking the frig out of "Hot And Cold" by Katy Perry: A bunch of middle-aged Ukranian dudes jamming to a horrible pop song on the accordion? Yeah, that seems reasonable. Someone please eradicate this awesome-terrible earworm from my brain...



So what song covers do you guys think are better than the originals?