Checking In and Sherlock Wishlist

So real life first.  Nothing really to report.  I'm learning a lot about cataloging archival records, finding out just how much I prefer teaching 15 students as opposed to a 160, planning a church building scavenger hunt for Young Womens, and trying to figure out how to read on Trax without getting motion sick.  Oh - and I finally got the Christmas tree taken down, exciting stuff.   Now that I've proved I am capable of dealing with reality I can move on to....Sherlock

 Okay...so first things first.  If you haven't watched the first episode of Sherlock Season Three and you care about spoilers, don't read any more. 

I think my love of Sherlock has been firmly established.  The theme song is my ring tone, and I don't even want to fess up to how many times I rewatched the first two seasons.  (That's what a two year wait for new episodes will do.)  So I had a couple of things on my wish list for the season three opener...first, that John Watson's reaction to Sherlock's miraculous reappearance would be some kind of violence, that I would like the character of Mary Morstan, and that it would make me laugh out loud. 

I got all three of those wishes. It was really, really fun.

Arrow Nitpicking

So I've become slightly obsessed with Arrow over the past couple of months.  While I was getting Christmas stuff ready I re-watched a lot of the first season, and while it is officially my second favorite show these days (Castle still holds the top spot of course) it doesn't mean there aren't things about it that drive me a little crazy.  Here's my little list....

5 Things That Bug Me About Arrow

1. Oliver’s atrocious island hair.  Even the actor commented on how bad it was in one of the blooper reels.

2.  Any time anyone but his little sister calls him “Ollie.”  Normally I have no problem separating the Smallville Oliver Queen from the Arrow Oliver Queen, but since the Smallville character went by this nickname so often, every time they use it on Arrow I think, “That’s not Ollie.”  I just don’t like the awkward mental collision.

3. The “not trusting your people” thing.  I’ve blogged about this before, but I hate the whole “I can’t let people be close to me because my life is oh-so-dangerous.” It’s so overdone, especially in these kinds of stories.  Seriously, cops and firefighters have families, so Oliver needs to get over himself and quit using this as excuse #1 every time he actually likes a girl.  

4. The inconsistency of Laurel Lance and Thea Queen’s characters – seriously their personalities and roles in the show change about every twenty seconds.

5. The fact that uber-tough-superhero Oliver Queen still essentially lives, apparently rent free, at his very Versailles-looking mother’s house.  Which, by the way uses the same exterior shots as the Luther Mansion in Smallville, taking us back to the whole awkward mental collision thing. 

The show has been steadily improving this season, so here's hoping that some of this stuff eventually sorts out.   And thanks for not minding that this is a fairly ridiculous thing to write a blog post about. 

Intern Girl

So I started my job at the Church History Library today, and I think I'm going to really like it there.  The commute home was interesting.  There was a major problem with Trax and Tracy had to drive all the way downtown to pick me up ... my knight in shiny armor!

Though the view from the walking part of my commute was pretty good...

Finals

Nothing can make you grateful to be done with school like proctoring a final exam.  The nerves rolling off my students today are enough to make me anxious.  So glad 2013 was the year I finally finished.

Christmas Spirit?

So I am totally in shock that Christmas is only a week away.  I am totally not ready for it.  I honestly don't know where December went.  I know part of it is that I've been sick a lot, but still, it's been tough to wrap my brain around.

Anyway, tonight Tracy and I finally got our Christmas tree up. (Our anonymously donated tree from last year :-)  And I also put up a cute decoration that my Mom and I made as a joint effort when I went to visit in October.  Hopefully if it looks like Christmas I can get my head around it.

Additions to My Favorite Characters List – Television Edition

So I was looking back over my blog and was looking at the favorite character's list I created back in 2011 and it occurs to me that there have been some updates to that list.  Since I've had kind of a low energy week (stomach flu followed by monster cold, yay)  I thought I'd have some fun and update my list.  Today's editions all come from the world of television and fall into two distinct categories.

 It’s All the BBC’s Fault

Sherlock Holmes (played by Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock) – Tracy and I rewatched the first episode of Sherlock yesterday, and I was struck again with how well done this show is and Benedict Cumberbatch’s brilliant portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is at the heart of that.  He creates a Sherlock who is fascinating, insufferable, and heroic all at the same time.

John Watson (played by Martin Freeman in Sherlock) – Okay, so why do we put up with the above mentioned insufferable consulting detective?  Mostly, because John Watson does.   The dynamic friendship between the nearly unbalanced genius and the steady everyman makes for amazing television.

The Doctor (played by David Tennant and Matt Smith in Doctor Who) - Yes there are other actors who’ve played (and will play) this role, but it is these two who really created a character I could get behind.  The Doctor always likes who you want him to like and helps the people you want him to help.  And he does it while being irrepressibly goofy (at least in these two incarnations).  It’s awesome.

Donna Noble (played by Catherine Tate in Doctor Who) – Okay, so I love Rose,  Amy, Rory, River, and Clara but Donna Noble is my favorite companion of The Doctor.  There are two reasons for this – first, she and David Tennant’s Doctor create one of the best male/female friendships I’ve ever seen on TV.  Second, because Donna proves that even the most ordinary person can be extraordinary if someone gives them the chance.

It’s not Easy Being Green – the Arrow Gang

Felicity Smoak (played by Emily Bett Rickards)  – This character was supposed to be on the show for one episode…now’s she’s everyone’s favorite.  Including mine.  If Oliver Queen doesn’t kiss this girl at some point in the future, I will never forgive him.

John Diggle (played by David Ramsey) – Okay, so I’m getting the theme here that I like the depiction of friendships on television.  Digg and Oliver are hilarious, and I love that Digg is always willing to call Oliver on his crap while still being the steadiest possible friend.

Oliver Queen (played by Stephen Amell) - So yes, there was an Oliver on the old list, and Justin Hartley’s Oliver is still awesome and by far the funnier of the two.  But when I think Oliver Queen now, I have to admit Stephen Amell’s broodier version is the one that pops into my head.  Especially after the episode “Three Ghosts.”

Workity work

So on January 6th, I go from one part-time job to three.  And as of today, one of those jobs got bigger (Salt Lake Community College offered me back the second class that they pulled a few weeks ago). While I do have some concerns about the logistics of this change, surprisingly enough the overriding feeling I'm having is excitement.  Yes, I'm having a holy-crap-I'd-better-finish-up-some-stuff-and-be-prepared feeling, but beyond that I'm looking forward to actually being out in the world doing what I trained for 10 years of my life to do.   Would one full-time job be the ideal?  Yes, of course.  But one thing's for sure...I won't get bored.