TV

Wow a brief moment to relax. Only a month left to this semester and this time next week I will have my schedule for next semester. But anyways what am I doing on one of my few stress free nights? Rewatching a show called Wonderfalls. About half way through the second  episode I realized there are very few shows I have truly loved and I watch a lot of TV. This is a sad season because I'm trying A LOT of the new shows and none of them are catching me like I want (one notable exception but I will get to that later). But why why WHY must TV networks kill all the best shows before they really get a chance? I mean when they first order the episodes they have to know that the show is off color right? Here is the list of shows that I can watch a hundred times and still be depressed over the cancellation of years later:

Firefly (obviously name one nerd without this on their list...)
Reaper (Clever and funny, seems like that is a rare combination)
Wonderfalls (wound reopened by watching it again)
Dollhouse (When Joss Whedon says five year plan GIVE him five years people)
Dead Like Me (See reaper)
Tru Calling (not my typical kind of show)
Pushing Daisies (Such an amazing show with an amazing cast. Also created by the same guy as Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls)
Better Off Ted (Only show I would laugh at every joke)
Arrested Development (finally getting new stuff soon)
Angel (it got five seasons but cancelled as it was getting good)
The Tick (short lived but another amazing comedy)
Scrubs (not the Zach Braff that goes on 8 seasons but the reboot season 9)

Not to say that networks don't let random good shows live through (see 30 Rock, Community and hopefully Breaking In). But these shows have one thing in common, they are the normal show. Each and everyone of them have their unique brand of drama or comedy that was not main stream. So this all leads me back to the question, why order a show that you know is unique and is not going to work on network television? Luckily now we have cable networks who are willing to save shows (See Friday Night Lights and Damages) but they can't save them all. And many of the shows  on my list have lead to a lot of these quality actors being found and moving on to new shows, but what I would give for another season of each and every one of those shows on the list. Btw if you are ever bored I would suggest checking anyone of these shows out (not like other than Angel its much of a time commitment (and yes that made me sad to say))

OH! Almost forgot the loose end. The only show these season that has caught my interest as a show is Homeland. Its hard to explain because it wouldn't be my normal show but it is creative, well acted, well written and has production value. Always a nice combination.

Anyways I think I'm going to enjoy my night off (might be the last till thanksgiving and I will try to update then) And lastly those kittens are getting so BIG

Interlude With Kittens 3

I was going to put these in one of my blogs, but decided to post them here instead. The feral kittens are settling in quite nicely.

We had a brief interlude here with a litter of true babies that needed fostering. One of the older kittens was interested, but never got too close -- which was just as well because the baby kittens had panleukopenia and well, it wasn't pretty or fun. We lost all four of them in the end, and had to thoroughly disinfect everything in the house to help prevent the spread of the disease to our healthy cats.

But that's another story. Back to our summer kittens, born in the wild. Right before this picture was taken, Tiberias T. Tiger was smack dab in the middle of this group of cats and soliciting Parker (the grey cat sitting up) to love on him a bit. She actually groomed him for a moment -- which is when I ran to get to the camera. Of course, by the time I returned, they were all done with that nonsense.

However, Tiberias has inserted himself into the crowd that sleeps on the bed with me. He likes to sneak up along my side so that I can pet him and scratch his head.

Moony continues to look more and more like Puck.

He still does not totally trust us, but he likes to be fed and he likes to play with the laser pointers on the bed at night. In fact, if I'm not fast enough to bring them out, he sits at the foot of the bed and stares at me until there's something to chase.

Study study study

Not much as been going on in my life. Don't know if thats a good thing or a bad thing. Been keeping busy between school and friends i don't have much time for anything else. I have started going to movie screenings (I've been to 4 in the last two weeks and I am going to another next week) which is a benefit for those of us in LA. Whenever I have a moment that isn't being taken up with friends, school or TV I'm usually studying. Such is the life a college student. I'm so excited for this semester to be done. Honestly I'm excited for this entire school year to be done. I have two 18 units semesters back to back but senior year 6 of my units are a internship which won't be easy but 1) no homework/tests and 2) will actually be interesting (I hope) until then I guess I should get use to this life. I should probably get back to studying for my Anatomy test on Monday.....

school sucks

Not in the I don't see the point of it kinda way, and not even in the I hate my classes way, its in a I wish I had more time for other things kinda way. I am constantly trying to find time to go volunteer at the shelter (something I have only done once since coming home) all the while still having a social life (which is still at the all time best since coming to school) with my schedule it leaves very little time for things I truly enjoy like photography. Maybe its cause over the summer I get use to having time to play with it whenever I want and now I have Anatomy and Biochem taking over my life (and those are two of five classes) Also as much as I hate giving New Mexico credit in anyway there is not as much pretty stuff to take pictures of in Van Nuys. Then again up until now I have been taking pictures of two things (cats and sunsets) so maybe I need to start looking for things that my neighborhood can provide.

But alas this to must also wait. Much like last week I find myself scrambling to cram for yet another test (this time in Anatomy) and next weekend it will be time to write a paper I have avoided for long enough. Oh the life of a college student. Now in a less "oh poor me" kinda way I enjoy school and my classes, but I'm really happy this is my Junior year and I'm more than half way done (with undergrad) After undergrad I have four years of Vet school (from this computer to gods ears) to look forward too. I guess when you see me complain about school so much its because part of me just wants to get to grad school so that I can start my life.

Updates

Today I have to stay at school till after 8 PM for a make up class. I quickly wrote the paper I needed to write and since I would rather wait to be home to learn the 20 amino acids. So other than listening to the Sox game I figured now would be a good time to update. Seeing as my mother asked about my other blog I feel like I have to admit when I first started that blog it was easy for me to come up with new things every week at some point it started getting harder and harder to the point where now I feel like I have no new ideas. I keep waiting for the time when I get the inspiration back and I'm sorry that you guys have to wait till that time.

Classes are still good and it feels great to be back on a schedule instead of what my life was like over the summer. I've been slowly trying to get most (get everybody has a little) drama out of my life. How do I do that? I hang out with the right people. I have found a new group of friends which are just less dramatic and more down to earth and focused on school. Thats not to say we don't have fun, we just don't like drama.

Its the season of TV shows coming back or starting up. I haven't tried to many new shows so far. I half watched Two Broke Girls but wasn't blown away. The new 2 and a half men seemed to try and create the same dynamic between the new character and Jon Cryer which if they keep up will be the end of the show. Looking forward to watching yesterdays How I met your mother tonight when I get home.

I know all three of those things really had nothing to do with each other but my life is a pretty simple one right now. I wake up, go to school, hang out with friends, study, watch TV and repeat.

school school and more school

Now a little more than a two weeks into this semester I can say it might be one of my favorite ones so far. I love my schedule, classes seem good for the most part and because I live 20 minutes from school I can't just go hide/nap in my room between classes and have actually gotten a lot closer to people I have classes with. I'm taking five classes: Upper division writing, globalization, biochem, anatomy and bioethics.

Upper division writing has been fun so far but very little writing has actually happened. I enjoy the teacher though so I am just having a great time.

Globalization is a lot of info to absorbed and I feel like if I wasn't a science major/busy all the time on classes that matter for my future I would enjoy it way more.

Biochem has been my favorite class so far, it mixes every science we have taken so far and it just finally feels like I'm using some of the stuff I learned.

Anatomy hasn't really started yet. But I'm looking forward to when it starts picking up. Also we are dissecting a cat which sounds horrible but I know I'm going to have to do it a lot in veterinarian school.

I have taken a class from from the same teacher as Bioethics and not even joking its a carbon copy. He even uses the same examples to explain the same points that he did in the other class. >_<

I'm 22, oy. It was also my birthday over the weekend and one of my roommates and our friends from class threw me a party. The past couple of years I have had a girlfriend over my past two birthdays and as wonderful as they were for doing things for me it was really nice to have the party then have the day to lie on my bed and watch football and just relax.

Also this week marks the start of a new TV season. Even though next week is when most shows restart I started a new show this week called Ringer. It was amazing to see Sarah Michelle Gellar back on TV and she seems to be very happy with the role. My only problem was that the pilot was very very convoluted. Hopefully after the first week of trying to introduce all the characters and story it will find a nice tempo and not seem to be random scenes tossed together. 

I don't know how often I am going to be able to update this blog, I have a very busy schedule and trying to find the perfect mix of time with friends homework and everything else I want to do.

Interlude with Kittens 2 - Ferals Unite!

In 1998, our family fostered a pair of feral kittens for the Neponset Valley Humane Society. One socialized well and was adopted out; the second was a little more fearful of humans and we ended up adopting her ourselves. And then she spent the next 10 years hiding under our bed and earning herself the name SOHO (Scared Of Her Own) Shadow. In recent years, she has been coming out more and more under very controlled circumstances -- like when we are lying flat on our backs in bed -- and demanding to be petted.

The Shadow was our first feral kitten and we learned a lot from her about how to teach feral kittens that (certain) humans can be trusted. To an extent. The three feral kittens we have been socializing this summer are living proof of how much we have learned. They are still skittish around us, but we can stroke them (and they even purr!), pick them up, and even hold them for short periods.

The babies have also been venturing out of the bedroom more and more. One even made it into the garage the other day. Then early this morning, I noticed this tableaux as I was about to head out:

That's Oreo cleaning himself on the futon couch, Moony staring distrustfully from the floor, and Tiberius perched on the arm of the couch right in front of the books. And as a bonus -- that's our Shadow in the cat tree, keeping an eye on me as I snapped this picture.