fall tv 08

YES! Thanks to my friend Ruby I found out that there is indeed a Fall TV Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly this year. As soon as the mail arrived at work on Friday, I pounced. I checked through our mail bins (we get multiple copies of every single magazine out there) and found one. It had Chuck/Blair on the cover too. SCORE. Although, yes, I would have been happy with Dan/Serena as I like them too. :D

I read through the whole thing and of course, I am planning on watching too many shows. Here’s my list with premiere dates/times for my reference:

Mondays:
Gossip Girl (already premiered) @ 8pm (CW) – My current favorite show! I still have to watch my recording of the first 2 episodes, though. :P
Chuck 9/29 @ 8pm (NBC)
One Tree Hill (already premiered) @ 9pm (CW)
Heroes 9/22 @ 9pm (NBC)
Rob also watches Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles so I follow that show by default. Wow, Monday is packed.

Tuesdays:
90210 (already premiered) @ 8pm (CW)
Fringe 9/9 @ 9pm (FOX) – One name. JOSHUA JACKSON. Woot. I am SO EXCITED to have him back on TV again.
Hmmm… did the CW cancel Reaper?

Wednesdays:
Private Practice 10/1 @ 9pm (ABC)
Dirty Sexy Money 10/1 @ 10pm (ABC)
Lipstick Jungle 9/24 @ 10pm (NBC) – I may check out a few episodes. I watched this last season when DSM went off the air during the writers’ strike and it was ok. There was some nice eye candy at least. Hee.
And I’m officially giving up Pushing Daisies. It’s such a cute show but… I got bored. :/

Thursdays:
Smallville 9/18 @ 8pm (CW) – I’ve also dropped Ugly Betty from my schedule so I can start watching SMVL again (I missed the second half of last season). I’m not too sure how I’ll like the show without Lex and Lana but at least Oliver and the Justice League are back!
Grey’s Anatomy 9/25 @ 9pm (ABC)
CSI 10/9 @ 9pm (CBS) – Warrick. *sniff*
Supernatural 9/18 @ 9pm (CW)

Fridays:
Free day!

Sundays:
Brothers and Sisters 9/28 @ 10pm (ABC)

Aaaahhh, so many shows, so little time. I LOVE IT.

new 90210 + pb

First, I want to wish my friend Ricardo a Happy Belated Birthday! He’s one of my few real-life guy friends who actually reads this thing so I had to give him a shout-out (this does not sound right coming from me). :D

Anyway, had a very lazy 4-day weekend. My back hurt (have no idea why – I haven’t been to the gym since before the wedding) so I lay in bed and watched a lot of CSI. (What’s new, right?)

Is it just me or did Entertainment Weekly not have their annual Fall TV preview issue this year? I LOVE that issue. It’s like my new TV season bible. Seriously. I always read it from cover to cover trying to figure out my TV schedule for the new year. It never arrived and all of a sudden the season started this past Monday. I was not prepared.

I haven’t watched Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill yet but I did catch the new 90210 (terrible) and Prison Break (interesting) so of course I have a few comments (beware of spoilers).

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sytycd

Work has started to calm down (YES)… we even hired an assistant, finally! It’s been a challenging week training her (she is fresh out of college) and keeping up with my own workload but the countdown to the wedding keeps me going… 17 days, guys. 17 DAYS.

To distract me from the craziness of wedding planning, I have become completely obsessed with So You Think You Can Dance. I don’t normally follow TV over the summer but somehow, it’s become appointment TV for me (and Rob too!). I watched casually during the first 2 seasons, I missed the 3rd season but caught the whole thing during a marathon on MTV, now I’m finally watching the original run. And it’s been so fun! I pretty much love the entire Top 8 right now, though I do love Katee just a tad bit more than all the others. I’m usually a very lazy fan when it comes to these reality competitions but Katee has totally turned me around. Sadly (for me, not for her), her number was busy during the times I called in tonight so hopefully she’ll be safe tomorrow (*crosses fingers*). I am so nervous… it’s ridiculous.

Ok, it’s 12:50am and I’m not even sure why I’m still awake… time to head to bed. One more day until Friday! WOOT.

the 2 w’s

The 2 W’s have taken over my life… Work and the Wedding.

Work has been absolutely crazy lately. It’s the dreaded “planning” season, which means looooooong days. SUCKS to be me. But our team just got approval to hire an Assistant so that’ll definitely help whenever we find the time to actually recruit and interview candidates. :/ I really, really, really want my hours to be “normal.”

But the craziness doesn’t stop at work. Oh no. I get home and go into Wedding mode. Rob and I spent the past 2 weeks working on getting all our invitations out the door. We finally got them all mailed out over the weekend. YAY! Once I get confirmation that our out of state guests have received theirs, I’ll share pics!
Now I’ve moved on to other projects — like designing the programs and menus, figuring out if I can handle putting together a slideshow to play at the reception or not, selecting our ceremony music, etc etc etc. OMG.

Not going to think about ALL THAT STUFF right now.

Anyway, this past Saturday I went to my very first Bridal Shower for my good friend Shirley. Despite the heat, it was a really fun-filled day. Her bridesmaids did a great job coordinating everything. We all met at Shirley’s place for breakfast and introductions, then we went to Napa for massages (mmm, so nice), and finally ended up at V. Sattui winery for food, games, and gifts! Shirls, I can’t wait for your wedding — 1 more month! :D

In TV news, I have not been keeping up with any current shows, except for Lost. It’s too hard. I did manage to get caught up with Gossip Girl (minus the season finale) while I was working on the invitations. But I have tons of One Tree Hill, Brothers and Sisters, Smallville, Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy episodes saved on the Tivo. I don’t know guys. It looks like I might have to start deleting these. Smallville will probably be the first to go.

Too bad I’ll probably have even more TV piling up because I was reading the new show descriptions from the recent Upfronts and I’m totally eyeing the new 90210 series that the CW picked up (WHAT? I grew up with 90210!) and OF COURSE, the new JJ Abrams show, Fringe, that Joshua Jackson is starring in. The show doesn’t really look *that* appealing but whatever, PACEY!!!

:D

I’m delirious and it’s past my bedtime.

back from vegas

I meant to post this days ago. OOPS.

I got back from Las Vegas on Sunday. And I totally sat at work on Monday doing nothing. Shhh. Don’t tell on me. I was TIRED.

I had a good time. And I’m not even that big of a Vegas person. :D Here’s a quick rundown of the weekend…

So my friend (and bridesmaid!) Ruby wanted to surprise her boyfriend Jason (also my good friend and colleague — I used to be his assistant and now he’s my sales rep) with a birthday trip to Vegas with friends. Rob and I arrived on Friday night (after a short delay in Oakland, of course) and after a quick change of clothes, we headed off to the Mandalay Bay to meet up with our friends to surprise the birthday boy. We were supposed to meet outside of the Orchid Lounge, which is where Ruby and Jason were having drinks. As we approached, Ruby happened to be looking in our direction and what did I do — I WAVED. OMG. I’m such a moron. Luckily, Jason was looking down and didn’t see me. Phew. Once all of us were gathered, we walked in and practically jumped all over the poor guy. :D After a few hours of talking and drinking (only half an Amaretto Sour for me), we went over to the Rum Jungle for more drinking (not me) and dancing (yay).

Here I am with Ruby and Jason…



And here’s the group taking shots…



Sadly, the DJ at Rum Jungle was terrible. So there was not much dancing. We finally dispersed at 3am. EEEK. It was rough getting up the next day. I am too old to be staying out that late. :/

Didn’t do much on Saturday (poor Jason had a *little* too much to drink so he was out of commission for most of the day) but I did get to check out the Wynn. I haven’t been to Vegas since it opened a few years back and wow, the lobby and the shopping esplanade are gorgeous. The casino, though, looks just like every other casino on the strip. While we were there, I dragged Rob to the Manolo Blahnik store (later I even dragged Ruby into the Jimmy Choo store at Caesar’s Palace) — all in the name of “research” for my wedding shoes. A girl can dream, right? :D

We went to Aquanox at the Venetian for dinner. YUM-O. I had the filet mignon at a seafood restaurant. Hee. Afterwards, the guys headed off to the blackjack tables and Ruby and I took advantage of the free drink service (just cokes for me). Aaannnd that was our weekend. We hopped on a flight back to Oakland early on Sunday morning and took a nap as soon as we got home.

Good times. :)

In fandom news, has anyone heard/read the casting news for Prison Break season 4? WHAT THE HELL. TV Guide’s Ausiello has an interview with the executive producer if you want to read all about it. I think I might start watching again.

meme time

Rob’s out of town again this week so I have the TV all to myself. MWAHAHAHA.

There was nothing on last night besides American Idol so I watched it. I realized I haven’t watched it regularly in over 2 seasons. I kinda felt out of touch. I actually forgot how painful it can be watching the show live. Eek. Katharine McPhee was there as a guest. She is freaking gorgeous. Ugh. Hate her. (Just kidding, kind of).

I just read about the decision to split up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into 2 movies. They should just make 1 movie (even if it’s lengthy) and be done with it. Thumbs down.

I’m at work right now and cannot focus on anything so I have decided to do this meme. Stolen from Nicola

01. What time did you get up this morning?
6:45am… far later than usual. So of course, I was running around like a crazy person trying to leave the apartment on time. When Rob’s out of town, I have to take a bus to the train station and that thing does not come all that often.
02. Diamonds or pearls?
Both please. Thanks.
03. What was the last movie you saw?
It’s been awhile. I *think* the last movie I saw was Enchanted. I totally want to see The Other Boleyn Girl and also Step Up 2 (shut up :P ). But I bet I won’t see any movies in the theatre until the summer blockbusters are released.
04. Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?
Paris. I have a love affair with the city.
05. What do you usually have for breakfast?
Either cereal (Cheerios) or oatmeal. And also tea — I particularly love the Strawberry Cream tea from Coffee Bean. Some Fridays I’ll treat myself to a nonfat Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks for making it through the work week.
06. What is your middle name?
Lachica. It’s my mom’s maiden name.
07. What food do you dislike?
I don’t like anything slimy. This includes okra and uni (sea urchin).
08. What is your favorite CD?
Probably the Rent soundtrack (original Broadway cast version). With *N Sync’s No Strings Attached as a close second. HEE.
09. What kind of car do you drive?
No car for me. :/
10. Favorite sandwich?
I love pastrami sandwiches. Mmmm. I also really like turkey and avocado on a croissant. YUM.

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tv catch-up

I was trying to avoid them but those darn Girl Scouts found me today! I bought my usual Thin Mints and Samoas. :D YUM-O.

Rob was out of town last week so I took advantage of the fact that I had the TV all to myself and caught up on some of my girly shows! :) Some brief thoughts…

Ugly Betty
I’m finding Amanda really grating and annoying this season. It might be her storyline bringing out the worst in her. Is it just me? And possibly another unpopular opinion but I think I’m starting to prefer Betty/Gio over Betty/Henry. Last season I adored Henry and was totally rooting for a relationship between him and Betty. But now that they’re a couple, they just don’t work for me anymore… they’re actually, dare I say it, a little boring. :/

One Tree Hill
I know that Peyton has been a completely unreasonable b*tch so far this season but I can’t help it… I’m still a Peyton apologist. I just love her and want her to be happy. And I take back what I said originally about Lindsey, I have decided that I am not a fan. Mostly because I don’t believe that her character is going to last long in the world of Tree Hill (I mean, come on) so quite honestly, I don’t feel the need to get invested. Anyway, I knew it — I knew Nanny Carrie was up to no good. I’m so pissed at Nathan for not doing anything or SAYING anything about her completely inappropriate behavior. ARGH. Why, Nathan?!? It’s totally going to come up again because there is no way that Carrie’s storyline is done. BOO.

Lipstick Jungle
I’ve only seen the pilot and the most recent episode and it’s marginally better than Cashmere Mafia. And that’s mostly because I like Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, and Lindsay Price (she looks exactly the same as she did on 90210) and find their friendship/personalities to be relatable and believable. (Except why is Lindsay’s character named Victory?! Really?) I never would have thought these 3 actresses would work so well together but they do. I’ll watch the show if I happen to remember that it’s on but I won’t go out of my way. It’s too bad… I really wanted to “click” with this show. Can you tell I miss Sex and the City?

I just realized that I haven’t watched the last 3 episodes of Smallville and I’m too lazy to download them… anyone want to fill me in? :)

YAY — NBC renewed Friday Night Lights! Woot.

Finally, voting for Diesel is still going on here. :D

save the date

6 months until our wedding. EEEK.

Our “Save the Dates” arrived this week. YAY. They’re just little postcards that I “designed” in PhotoShop. And by design, I mean that I inserted a picture and slapped some text on there. :D Sadly, there’s a little hiccup. The text on the back of the STD (heh, that makes me laugh — I’m obviously 5) is just a *tad* bit too small. Argh. IT DID NOT LOOK SMALL IN PHOTOSHOP! Oh well, the front of the postcard serves it purpose so I guess it doesn’t matter that our guests may not be able to read the back without a magnifying glass. Oops. :/ I’ll share a peek once we’ve sent them all out.

In other news, I watched my recording of the Eli Stone premiere. I liked it! Ok ok, it was a bordering on cheesy at times (particularly with the George Michael scenes) but I had FAITH in the show. HA. Get it?! Do you? Seriously, I haven’t met a Greg Berlanti show I didn’t like. Plus, Victor Garber’s in it — that’s a huge plus right there. I’ll have to check out the second episode before making a decision but if Eli continues to be his charming, endearing self, I might just keep this show on my already bloated TV schedule. :D

oth s5 + cashmere mafia

I’ve been sick. Like I couldn’t even sit-or-stand-up-straight-without-feeling-light-headed-and-wanting-to-faint kind of sick. I took Thursday and Friday off from work so basically for the past 4 days I’ve been in a constant state of… sleep. Today’s the first day I’ve felt well enough to go online. Ugh. And I think I still won’t feel 100% when I go back to work on Tuesday. I so did not think this would be how I would spend this 3-day weekend. Boo.

My hard drive is making really loud noises. Should I be worried?

I just realized that I’m about 5 episodes behind on Grey’s and 6 behind with Ugly Betty. That’s what happens when you watch 5 shows on Thursday nights. Oops. So with the lack of new TV lately, you’d think I’d be catching up, right? Nope. Because ABC has decided not to offer all the episodes for viewing on their website like they did last season. Only the most recent 5 or so episodes are available. I have to wait for them to actually rerun. And I’m way too lazy too download the shows the “other” way. But I guess that’s ok since it leaves me time to watch some of the mid-season replacements…

One Tree Hill
Only 3 episodes in and it’s been SO. GOOD. Seriously. I was a little wary of the 4-year jump but I’m over it. I LOVE that Skills is getting more screen time. He’s the BEST. But why does Mouth get his own storyline (which I HATE, by the way)?! There was a time when I liked him… up until everything that came out of his mouth (heh) sounded like it came straight from an after-school special. Grr. As far as the main characters, Brooke and Peyton are totally rocking this season (I am so happy about their return to best-friendship — AND they’re living together!), Lucas is still Mr. Goody Two-Shoes (and I actually don’t mind “his” Lindsey), and I continue to adore Nathan/Haley despite their completely unrealistic storyline (Nathan as a first round draft pick with a shoe deal? COME ON). But honestly, the best part of season 5 so far is Jamie! He’s so cute and a pretty darn good actor to boot! Awww. So yeah, so far, so good. The ONE thing I’m a bit worried about is the nanny… it just feels like they’re setting her and Nathan up for some sort of “affair,” which I would HATE. Anyway, good times.

Speaking of OTH, the cast was doing some sort of mall tour yesterday and guess who was here in San Francisco?! JAMES LAFFERTY. He was at Macy’s in Union Square. If I wasn’t sick, I probably would have thought about going. Maybe. :D

Cashmere Mafia
I have to admit I watched this show for 2 reasons — 1) I love Lucy Liu, and 2) I miss Sex and the City. So I tuned in to the pilot. And let me tell you, this is no SatC. I was so disappointed. But I did learn that I just do not like Bonnie Sommerville. Totally irrational, I know. Now I’m waiting for Lipstick Jungle. Based on the promos, it looks like the superior show anyhow.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles also premiered, which Rob actually recorded, but when we tried to watch it, I just couldn’t pay attention. Oh well, I don’t really need another show to watch anyway.

Now I’m off to go medicate some more… :/

oc series finale

Sarah, your holiday card was the first I received of the season! Whee! Alie and Marianne, yours arrived today. So exciting. Thank you, thank you. :)

I’m super behind on current TV (Grey’s, Ugly Betty, Private Practice, etc) but instead of catching up, I decided to open my OC season 4 DVDs and watch the series finale instead. :D Plus, I figure with the writers strike, I’ll have time in the next few months to get up to speed.

Gawd, I miss this show. I don’t think I ever blogged about the finale so here goes…

I really adored the entire episode. I was touched by the callbacks to the first season… from the score to the flashbacks of pivotal moments from the pilot (Ryan meeting Seth, Ryan gazing at Marissa as Sandy drives him back to Chino). But what I loved the best was seeing where the characters ended up.

The Coopers (Julie and Kaitlin, that is) are made of awesome. :) I didn’t particularly like Kaitlin when she first came back to Newport but in the last season, she showed vulnerability and heart and that was reflected in her relationship with Julie. They turned into such a great mother-daughter team. And when Julie got her college degree with Kaitlin in the audience cheering her on… well, that was icing on the cake.

Seth and Summer getting married was totally expected but I still loved seeing it happen. Their best moment of the finale by far, though, was their goodbye scene. When Summer sat down on the bus, looked at Seth through the window, and put her hand on the glass… Guh. I fell in love with them all over again.

Ryan and Taylor’s ending was left open-ended (damn you, Josh Schwartz!) but I think their scenes left pretty good hints of what’s to come. :D Or at least that’s what *I* like to believe. I mean, come on — did you SEE Taylor rip Ryan’s shirt off as soon as they had a moment alone together? They ooze sexual tension.

I do wish that there would have been some room in the finale for one last Sandy/Ryan scene… and I wish they would have filmed the Berkeley scenes on location. The UCLA and Caltech campuses are gorgeous but they just don’t look anything like Cal.

But back to my other favorite moments…
– Summer giving Julie the locket with Marissa’s photo. I always tear up during this scene and I’ve seen the finale at least 4 or 5 times now.
– The Valley meta… “Real life Jake and real life April broke up!” I know it can be overdone but I like that the show can poke some fun at itself.
– Ryan taking Flapjacks out of his hoodie pocket. Awww. Though I admit his pocket was not exactly the best place to hold the little guy.
– And THE BEST scene of the episode, was definitely this exchange between Ryan and Seth…
Ryan: “I’m a lot better off than when you found me.”
Seth: “Me, too.”

*sniff*