Week 2: Fox TV + Hope for Hump Day

Photo courtesy: sidereel.com

The Mindy Project, Season 1, Episode 11 "Bunk Bed"

Storylines:
Mindy is trying to bond with her best friend, Gwen, again while her husband is away. The only trouble is that Gwen has to bring her daughter along, who is demanding a bunk bed. That and the fact that Mindy doesn't even know how to build a bunk bed. Meanwhile, Danny brings in the staff on a Saturday to be a more competitive practice so they try to do everything possible to mess with him enough to cancel Saturdays. This started off with the basics: wasting time on Facebook, looking at pictures on People BUT they find a letter that he wrote to her ex-wife.

Thoughts?
The first thing I must say is that the opening almost made me close Hulu. Mindy is on a great date with this guy on a horse carriage. Just as things seem like they could lead somewhere, the horse has a heart attack. Then they shoot it...three times. I think that if you want to ruin a date, you could've picked a more awkward moment. I get that a horse dying is out there but it's also insensitive to actually consider that a real option on a national TV sitcom. Once I got over that initial offense, I was surprised. Another really good episode. I like how when a character receives texts on the show, they show it on the screen instead of cutting to the phone. I think this is the second time they do that on this show and it's a refreshing way to show texts. The first half of the episode, I thought they were going to push the Mindy/ Danny thing that they're done on and off but Danny ends up meeting a girl in the hospital. They also gave a lot of face time to Morgan this episode, which made it funnier. This is probably bias because I love Morgan's dialogue and his delivery. The highlight for me was when Mindy called him. He ends up sending the letter the staff found and the way the show ends, it seems like they're going to run with that storyline. We'll see what next week holds.

Photo courtesy: pastemagazine.com

New Girl, Season 2, Episode 13 "A Father's Love"

Storylines:

Earlier in the season, Jess's parents came to the loft after Jess tries to "Parent Trap" them. Now, Nick's dad stops by. At first, it seems innocent, until you learn the back story of him being a conman. He invites Jess to watch the horse races and convinces her to pitch in to buy a horse, named "A Father's Love", to make amends with Nick. However, after hearing Winston tell Nick his dad took $1100 dollars from him, both the audience and Nick can put two and two together as he tries to get his dad to pay her back. Back at home, Schmidt is teaming up with Cece's ex, Robbie, to try to get her back. Weird, huh? She's getting set up with a successful Indian man and they both spy on her. Then they head back to the bar to discuss their plan to get her back. 

Thoughts?

My favorite line was," There's more to A Father's Love than semen *pause* didn't mean for it to be sexual....poetic but gross." Hilarious. After last week's episode, I wanted to see more of Winston but he's pretty much gone in this episode. I can still appreciate the chemistry between Schmidt and Robbie though. There was also a cute moment between Jess and Nick at the end. You see why he's had trust issues growing up but Jess sees how much he's had to go through and how well he's come out of it despite all the junk.

Photo Courtesy: fox.com

Raising Hope, Season 3, Episode 12 "Lord of the Ring"

Storyline:
Sabrina is watching an infomercial with the Chance family and says how bad it is that women base their worth on an engagement ring. However, when she leaves, Bert says she's lying and that Jimmy has to do whatever it takes to get her an engagement ring (like he did for Virginia). Little does he know that Virginia has been pawning/rebuying it for 20 years when the family is broke. So while Bert is going crazy looking for it, Jimmy is going mental doing a bunch of medical tests for money. During all the chaos, Sabrina realizes she actually does want a ring because it'll represent her marriage to Jimmy. 

Thoughts?
I'm pretty sure they were spoofing The 40 Year-Old Virgin with Sabrina getting waxed and yelling "Clay Aiken" but don't quote me. Of course, they were also doing a take on "Lord of the Rings" and it was all hilarious to watch. Big Judy was actually my favorite of the night; she kept telling everyone about hints the whole time but the Chance family were a little slow to catch it. Ross makes an appearance again and is trying to hit on Virginia the whole time while everyone's looking for the ring. It's a really cute ending!

The night's winner? Raising Hope!

(Below is the hope to get you through hump day and beyond.)

You're not alone when you're thinking "where did all this time go?"

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Week 1: Fox TV + Hope For Hump Day

Photo courtesy: themothchase.com

The Mindy Project, Season 1, Episode 10 "Mindy's Brother"

Storylines:
It's a new year and Mindy is trying to follow through with her resolutions, partly because she wants to forget about Josh. She thinks that  robber hit up her apartment but it's really her younger brother, who she's happy to have around...until she finds out his "big announcement". Mindy freaks when she finds out that he's decided to drop out of Stanford to pursue rapping while Danny and Jeremy visit an old folks' home to talk to their landlord about their office rent (which has doubled). The boys are trying to help the landlord in his love life in exchange for some help; Mindy tries to talk her brother out of making a bad decision.

Thoughts?
Utkarsh Ambudka (from Pitch Perfect) guest stars and his raps are really funny. I think he was definitely the highlight of the show. This episode in general was very well written (although I felt the stress barfing was not needed). Of course, each episode also ends with a small lesson, but I can appreciate Mindy's commitment to creating meaning to her show. I am really pulling for her because I've loved her work on The Office and her book, but this season has had something missing in most episodes. I didn't get that feeling with this episode so congrats to Mindy on a great first episode after the holidays! 

Photo courtesy: sidereel.com

New Girl, Season 2, Episode 12 "Cabin"

Storylines:

The show opens up with Schmidt catching Winston chatting up with some black strangers. This sparks a revelation in Schmidt's head about letting Winston be "supported in being as black as he can be". Winston, who quickly takes advantage of Schmidt's naive and gullible thought, pushes to see just how far Schmidt will go. Jess, Nick, Angie, and Sam all go to a cabin for the weekend. Angie is a firecracker the whole time, instigating the gang to drink absinthe. Truths come out and things get a little messy, which prompts Angie to leave.

Thoughts?

This was Winston's best episode. He was soooo funny and Schmidt's ranting about race are hilarious. It was definitely the more entertaining half of the show, while Jess and Nick's journey was more about exposing their insecurities. Jess is scared to be vulnerable and alone with Sam, which is why she invites Nick along in the first place. Nick's struggle seemed to be that he was acting like he was okay with the relationship he has with Angie, when in reality, it was a lot more out there than he would admit. I hate to compare but this is a wayyyy more entertaining watch than Mindy's show. Mindy is an acquired taste and her fanbase is mostly fans that have followed her from The Office. New Girl always has really great writing that can appeal to everyone. 

Photo courtesy: screencrush.com

Raising Hope, Season 3, Episode 11 "Credit Where Credit Is Due"

Storylines:

Jimmy is trying to buy a new car. Partly because of Sabrina's nagging and also for Hope's safety. He goes and asks his parents about what he should do and they warn him about the dangers of buying new. That is where they say my favorite line of the episode..."If Sabrina tells you anything about getting a used car, tell her that when you met her, she had a boyfriend. You got her used." LMAO. After looking a lot of "diamonds in the rough" that fit in their $800 budget, Sabrina finally drags Jimmy to a car lot. As they finally make their choice about getting a new car, Jimmy is told he has a credit score of 91 (thanks to his parents stealing his identity when he was 5 years old to buy a hot tub). 

Thoughts?

Apparently, there's a lot of Back to the Future references but I don't get them because I've never seen the movie (don't judge me). Even as someone who doesn't know those references, there's plenty of stuff to laugh at. Raising Hope is an extremely underrated show. The writing is always on point, and there's usually a lesson too. I mentioned my favorite line in the storyline but there was also this part where Jimmy's parents say they are going to the bank to fix his credit and that's it..no more bad choices. Then, they suggest going through a cracked bridge to go to a Mexican/Indian restaurant that the city finally allowed to be re-opened to buy chicken that's really cheap because the lights were out for 18 hours...lol. I won't give the ending away but it all works out for everyone, including the special cameo. 

The winner? New Girl!

(Below is your inspiration to get you through the rest of the week.)

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Just a reminder for the new year..

Hello to all and welcome to 2013! 

This is my first post of the year and I wanted to start on a happy note.

Everyone on my feed and Twitter is complaining about how lame it is to try to keep resolutions.

Where's the spirit this year? There's nothing wrong with having some optimism and having goals. Those are two ingredients for success, if you ask me. All you need with that is consistency and voilà, you have results!

A lot are about weight (as usual) and it's true: statistics do say that by February, most have abandoned their goals. However, I think that one day of working out, no matter how low-intensity it is, will be a lot more productive than one day on the couch complaining. There was a saying I read that really stuck with me. It was something along the lines of," Why don't you just exercise for one hour a day instead of complaining that you're fat 24 hours a day?" It blew my mind, lol. Then there was also this picture I thought was awesome on Instagram. I even took a screenshot of it:

If that doesn't motivate you, I don't know what does. I also posted a video way back (in case you'd like to see it, it's this one) and the guy said," Just because I can't do it to-day doesn't mean I won't do it some-day." That's the spirit people should have this year! I know I feel it. Even if I don't do well some days, I can't wallow in self-pity for too long anymore. Gotta get back on the horse, ya dig? Even if it's something you're petrified of doing this year, go for it. You're gonna look back and regret that you didn't do things more than you'll regret the things you did. So you won't think I'm spinning a bunch of crap for you, here are some of mine:

• start giving 10% of my checks to church again (I did in 2011 and some of 2012 but stopped! :( )
• become a member of either the Humane Society or ASPCA  (I want to help animals)
• put aside money for a pet fund and a savings account
• get fit (it's looonngg overdue)
• all A's til I graduate

The financial goals will be hard for me because I got used to working full-time and now I'm going part-time so it's a big crunch for me but I want to get disciplined so this won't be a big deal to do while I'm married. I did a pretty good job in 2012 with my goals so I'm hoping history will repeat itself.

Everyone's troubles will be different but we can all do it! 

This picture below is a great life motto!

Well, that's enough motivation for today! Good luck to everyone!

'til next time, stay classy!♥

-M

Sexist humor on a Wednesday?

I'm very pro-equality among men and women and this can make me laugh.

'til next time, stay classy!♥

-M

Grades are in! :)

This is already on my Facebook but just showing it to show hard work pays off! Also, not working 50 hours a week makes school a lot easier. Now that I'm employed again, I'm planning on keeping these grades as the standard. Hopefully A's across the board next semester! :)

Book Review Update:
I didn't read the past two weeks because I was cramming for school but I should catch up this winter break. Gossip Girl on the CW officially ended this Monday. :( It was predictable and a litte rushed, but I think the fans got what they wanted. Here's one review you can read that's favorable and here's another that's a little more critical. I'm genuinely very sad to see it go, even if it was kind of lackluster towards the end.

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Quote of the Week Wednesday!

Here is something that I found to be very true.

I struggle a lot with worrying but it's getting better. Also, I thought this picture was very artistic. It's sad to look at because of the child's face but I can appreciate the message and creativity.

Side Note: I'm thinking about changing up my format. Again. Instead of videos and pictures on Wednesdays and Fridays, I was thinking TV and movie reviews. It's something I already do out loud, so why not make it public? We'll see. Starting January, I do want to kick off blogging more often so I might keep the format now and just plug in my new ideas.

Sorry for the short entries lately! Still finals time. I'll post the results later.

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

A piece of humble pie.

I found this picture on my Facebook feed and saved it to put things into prospective when the green-eyed monster of envy starts to mess with my head.

I thought I'd share it with my 1.5 faithful readers, haha.

As Kevin Hart says in his stand-up: Stay in your financial lane, People! In fact, here is the video: it's hilarious. 

Happy Hump Day, guys!

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Inspirational!

I keep trying to stick to memes and stuff on Wednesdays but there's so much more I could do with my internet space than just spin mindless jokes around, ya know?
This video has been floating around in my news feed on Facebook and it's made a lot of people cry (including myself).

It's about this veteran who couldn't walk unassisted and through yoga, lost over 100 pounds and can now run on his own again. I did read someone talking about how he lost weight too fast; while that might be true, don't kill the spirit! lol
The main point was to show how he was able to walk again and how the human spirit can push through unlikely circumstance. It's not a scientific evaluation of weight loss, lol. Anyways, here you go:

'til next time, stay classy!♥

-M

Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Hope everyone eats a lot and laughs just as much tomorrow. 

To  get in the spirit, I've included some funny topical photos:

How I feel about anyone who constantly checks in on Facebook.

I understand this can be highly offensive depending on who reads it, but I burst out laughing when I read it.

I want to do this with one of my dogs but I need to come up with someone witty enough.
Apparently it's a "thing" right now. This is one of the cuter ones I've seen.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Don't be hateful; gotta be grateful (at least for one day)

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Animal Legal Defense Fund

I know that Wednesdays are supposed to be for funny pictures and what not, but again I'm being lame and feeling motivated. I saw this commercial while catching up on Gossip Girl on Hulu and it was really sad to me. I think the fact that all these things they're saying here are true is very disappointing. This is a non-profit company that helps enforce animal rights through the court systems. I feel any lawyer who'd want to practice this kind of law could shed the negative stereotype of lawyers. I was actually very offended with one episode of Parks and Recreation. When Leslie was running, they showed a candidate who was passionate about animal rights and made him out to seem like an idiot. I love this show but felt very sad that they paint people out like that. It's the reason animal rights doesn't move forward.

I remember looking into a lot of animal-related fields where maybe I could use my degree upon graduation. There's animal law, but law has only recently recognized this as a legitimate form of government so there's not enough jobs out there yet. Vet technician salaries are also underwhelming. I hope that I can help once I graduate.

Last year, I was asking at the local shelter to volunteer. They said they would only allow court-mandated community service, which I found ridiculous. Thanks to local advocates, they're on the road to building a new shelter, have set up a new website, and actually do normal things like ask for donations and plan adoption events around the city.I don't know if it's because I still feel a certain level of guilt over having to surrender a dog I had (Toby) or if it's because I have two dogs I deeply love but I do care a lot more about this than I did growing up.  Hope you guys will care too one day.

'til next time, stay classy!♥
-M

Wednesday already?!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard the news that Obama has been re-elected as President. I voted for him both times, and I'm very pleased.Those who are annoyed with all the election hyper don't really understand that we're watching history. If they could take that into account, I think there would be more appreciation for what's going on. It's sad that people complain about others in having hope in something bigger than themselves. That's what life is all about. If you're just busy being self-absorbed, is that really a life worth living? Stop existing and start living! I've never seen such a reaction from young voters, and that's also another awesome thing to witness. Say what you want about Obama and his policies but no one can deny that this man knows how to move a crowd. For a presidential acceptance speech, his words really hit deep in a lot of people's hearts. It's one for the books, whether you like it or not. 

Congratulations, Obama! 4 more years!

'til next time, stay classy♥

-M

Happy Halloween!

In honor of the holiday, here are some of the funnier pictures I've seen floating around the internet. Even though some are political or religious (some of which I don't agree with), I can still be a good sport and see the wit in these. Hope you guys can too!

Mean but still kind of ironic.

Only posted this one because it's a campaign year. I disagree with this.

This one's poking fun at the recession.

Here's one about dogs, to end on a lighter note:

I'll update a picture of Eric and I later tonight. We're taking his siblings trick or treating. Be safe!

Happy Halloween!

til next time, stay classy!♥

-M

UPDATE: 
Here we are, E&M. (Eric & Michelle but also Elvis and Marilyn) Get it? Yeah, lame.
I apologize for the disastrous wig, lol.
I posted the funny one on Facebook but I also liked this one. :)

Family Edition Wednesday

So this week's Wednesday post is dedicated to my brother, Chris. He just got married today in San Antonio. He barely told me yesterday..and guess what? My parents don't know. He wants to surprise them... I smell some craziness brewing this weekend!  

He left home 7 months ago to go to basic training for the army and he's already such a man! It's crazy! It's gonna take me a while to process this. The first picture is a screenshot of what he's uploaded on Instagram and the second is a picture taken just last Christmas. He told me that he'd send me some pictures soon. Hopefully he does since I wish I could've been there personally.

I'm happy for him but as his big sister, I worry.

I'm wishing him nothing but the best in this new chapter of his very young life (20!!!).

I'll meet my new (and first) sister-in-law this Friday!

Congratulations, Chris!                          

Us a little under a year ago.

'til next time, stay classy♥

Happy Hump Day!

-M

Disney can predict the future.

 You know when a meme is too good to pass up? 

Yeah, that's what happened when I saw this one.
I wanted a little more substance on the first official "Wednesday" post..
oh well. Anything funny is always a good thing.

Happy Hump Day everyone!

'til next time, stay classy!♥

-M