Commentary #21: “July TV Show Photo Challenge” (Day 16)

Image Credit gettingthroughanxiety

Image Credit: gettingthroughanxiety.wordpress.com

Show with Most Seasons

I’ve seen several shows with a lot of seasons.

My first instinct would have been Cold Case, since I’ve seen every episode of all 7 seasons.

As I started counting seasons of shows, I thought of Full House (8 seasons), and Castle (8 seasons), and Forensic Files (14 seasons).

However, I’ve also seen every episode of ER. I don’t own all of the seasons on DVD, but since ER ended with 15 seasons, that’s my choice!

ER - avclub

Image Credit: avclub.com

ER is action-packed and a great show!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Commentary #20: “July TV Show Photo Challenge” (Days 1-15)

Image Credit gettingthroughanxiety

Image Credit: gettingthroughanxiety.wordpress.com

I just discovered / stumbled upon Getting Through Anxiety through a few other blogs earlier this week, and I loved her TV show challenge posts so much, that I wanted to try this for myself!

I’ve tried month-long challenges like this before, typically through Facebook posts. Most of the time, though, I’ve failed miserably, or given up within a couple of days.

Since I discovered this challenge close to the halfway point of July, I’ve decided to summarize the first 15 posts here, and then post the remainder on a daily basis until the end of the month.

I think I’m up to the task!


  1. Favorite TV Show
  2. Favorite Season of Favorite Show
  3. Favorite Crime Show
  4. Favorite Animated Show
  5. Favorite Character
  6. TV Crush
  7. Show From 80s
  8. TV Best Friend
  9. Most Hated TV Show
  10. Show from 90s
  11. Show from 2000s
  12. Favorite TV Relationship
  13. Most Hated TV Relationship
  14. Show with Best Lines
  15. Favorite Superhero Show

Favorite TV Show

Ooooh, there are so many favorites!

But, my favorite show of all-time, one where I can watch episodes over and over and over again, is …

Cold Case

Cold Case - en.wikipedia.org

Image Credit: en.wikipedia.org

At this point, my understanding is you can only watch full episodes in syndication – The ION televsion channel has run regular marathons in the past, for example.

YouTube has a good collection of clips, but due to copyright issues regarding the music used in the show, I don’t think the series will EVER be released on DVD, and that makes me super sad!

I’m sure there are other websites that advertise the full episodes, but I’m always a little leery of these types of sites. I don’t want to give my laptop a nasty virus!

Regardless, Cold Case is one of my absolute favorite shows. I love the cast, I love the drama, and I especially love the history angle involved in the episodes.


Favorite Season of Favorite Show

Season 4 of Cold Case

This was one of the most emotional seasons, in my opinion.

COLD CASE

“Rampage” — Rush (Kathryn Morris, pictured here with John Finn, far left, and Jeremy Ratchford) reopens a 1995 case involving two teenage boys who committed suicide after going on a murderous rampage at the local mall, on the fourth season premiere of COLD CASE, Sunday, Sept. 24 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Mitch Haddad/Warner Bros./CBS ©2006 Warner Bros.Television/CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Image Credit: tvguide.com

Here’s a few recommended episodes:

“Forever Blue” (Photo below)

Cold Case - sidereel.com Forever Blue

Image Credit: sidereel.com

“Saving Sammy”

“Lonely Hearts”

“8:03 AM”

“The Good-Bye Room”

“A Dollar, A Dream” – You may recognize Jennifer Lawrence in this one!

“Stand Up and Holler”

Each individual episode typically covers a different time period, and I feel the writers have done a good job of balancing the past with the present. They have always tried to show important facets and facts of life – Bullying, shootings, unwed mothers, homophobia, homelessness, loneliness, love, heartbreak, peer pressure, racism, sexism – Not only in this season, but in all seven seasons.


Favorite Crime Show

CSI: NY

CSI:  NY

Melina Kanakaredes and Gary Sinise star in CSI: NY, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. from left, Carmine Giovinazzo, Eddie Cahill, Gary Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes and Hill Harper. Photo: Anthony Mandler/CBS ©2005 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved Image Credit: fanpop.com

New York is where I was born. Even though I have no memory of living there (We moved to Alexandria, Virginia when I was two-years-old), there’s a huge part of me that identifies with the city. I was born 15 weeks premature, and every summer until my 16th birthday, my parents took me back to the hospital where I was born to see the doctors and nurses that took care of me. My high school orchestra received the tremendous opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall in April 2007, so that was a thrill as well.

To this day, I enjoy visiting the city. I dreamed of living there when I was younger, but now I’m happy to have stayed in Virginia! My goal now is to get my husband to visit with me, at least once 🙂

CSI: NY is my favorite of the CSI: series. I’ve enjoyed all of them, having some family connections to Miami as well, but the team and the city they live and work in captured my heart very quickly. Gary Sinise is perfect as Mac Taylor, and the rest of the cast fits very well. I found myself attached to all of them, at some point.


Favorite Animated Show

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Scooby Doo Where Are You - Wikipedia

Image Credit: en.wikipedia.org

I’ve always liked mysteries, and I’ve enjoyed seeing Scooby and the gang figure them out.

Scooby Do - dccomics

Image Credit: dccomics.com


Favorite Character

I couldn’t pick just one!

Lilly Rush – Cold Case

Cold Cash - Lilly Rush - tvguide

Kathryn Morris as Lilly Rush. Image Credit: tvguide.com

Lilly is smart, courageous, and hard-working. I admire her strength. She has quite a rough-and-tumble backstory, and her being one of the first female in the Philadelphia cold case unit is fitting.

Frank Reagan – Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods - Frank - pinterest.com

Tom Selleck as Francis “Frank” Reagan. Image Credit: pinterest.com

I fell in love with Blue Bloods because of my parents. The cast is stellar. And, no surprise here, the series is set in New York.

Frank Reagan has one of the toughest jobs – NYPD Commissioner. He’s excellent at his job. Besides work, he’s an awesome patriarch. I would’ve loved to have had him as a father or grandfather.

Jamie Reagan – Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods - Jamie - cbs.com

Will Estes as Jamison “Jamie” Reagan. Image Credit: cbs.com

Aside from his father, Frank, Jamie is my favorite. He’s handsome, tough, and just a great guy. He appears to be the epitome of a police officer – Tough, smart, funny, has a good rapport with his partner, colleagues, and family; and community-oriented. I think he would make a great brother.

I first fell in love with Will Estes on another show – American Dreams. It only lasted for three seasons on NBC, but it was a decent historical drama.

Eve Baxter – Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing - Eve - sidereel

Kaitlyn Dever as Eve Baxter. Image Credit: sidereel.com

Eve is my favorite of the Baxter girls (Read on for more about her siblings, Kristin and Mandy). She’s still in high school, but she’s funny, sensible, hard-working, and determined. I have great admiration for her character.


TV Crush

All-time favorite: Richard Castle from Castle

Castle - Nathan Fillion - masslive

Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle. Image Credit: masslive.com

Swoon! I’ve loved Castle from the beginning. I knew Fillion from Firefly and Serenity, but I took to Richard Castle immediately. I found myself wishing, a lot, that I was Stana Katic!

Close second: Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds

Derek Morgan - de.criminalminds.wikia.com

Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan. Image Credit: de.criminalminds.wikia.com

It was really hard to choose between Morgan and Reid (See below). But Morgan is a smooth-talker, tough, and hot! Haha.

I also love, love, love his relationship with Garcia (Read on for more!). I found myself going back week after week to see their interactions!

Third: Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds

MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER

CRIMINAL MINDS – “Criminal Minds” stars Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid. (ABC Studios/Cliff Lipson) Image Credit: criminalminds.wikia.com

Reid is goofy, and nerdy as all-get-out. I love his character! He’s a genius, and I love his interactions with the rest of the team.

Fourth: Barry Allen / The Flash from The Flash

Grant Gustin - tomandlorenzo

Grant Gustin as Barry Allen / The Flash. Image Credit: tomandlorenzo.com

Grant Gustin is a local boy (Norfolk, Virginia). So handsome! The show is pretty kick-ass, too. He’s a forensic scientist (Awesome), and doubles as one of the coolest superheroes ever (Fantastic)! He’s almost perfect for the character!


Show from 80s

Full House

Full House - abcnews.go

Image Credit: abcnews.go.com

I didn’t watch Full House while it was on the air; I was too young.

However, I discovered it in syndication on ABC Family in college, and fell hard. I found myself planning my classes around the TV schedule! I’ve seen every episode!

And, if you haven’t seen Fuller House on Netflix, I recommend watching it. It’s pretty good! Check out how I plowed through season 1 within 24 hours. I can’t wait for season 2!


TV Best Friend

This was one of the toughest ones to pick!

For me, I would love to have Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds as my best friend.

Criminal Minds - Penelope

Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia. Image Credit: criminalminds.wikia.com

She’s smart, goofy, funny, and I absolutely adore the relationship she has with Morgan. Her style is a bit wacky, but it just adds to her character! She’s a seriously cool chick and I would absolutely love to be friends with her. I can see myself hanging out with her a lot.


Most Hated TV Show

Supergirl

Supergirl - CBS

Image Credit: cbs.com

Ugh. I tried so hard to like this show! I was very excited when I heard that Melissa Benoist (Glee) was chosen as the star. I’m hoping that the decision to move season 2 over to The CW will help. I’m not holding out much hope, though.


Show from 90s

ER

ER - avclub

Image Credit: avclub.com

I credit my parents (again) for getting me into ER. They recorded it first on VHS, and then the DVR, almost every week. Once I was old enough to stay up late and watch it, I loved the drama, action, and characters. It lasted for 15 seasons from 1994-2009, and was a juggernaut. I own most of the series on DVD!


Show from 2000s

Criminal Minds

Criminal Minds - CBS

Image Credit: cbs.com

Based on several character profiles already mentioned in this post, you can probably tell that Criminal Minds quickly became one of my favorites when it premiered in 2005. I like the work that the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) does, and in college, I even considered applying for the FBI because of the show.

The only drawback is that the show is so vivid for me, I can’t watch the show at night anymore. I’ve had several terrible nightmares from the graphic portrayals of crimes in the show.

Other than that, I’ve found myself getting attached to many of the characters and their interactions. The show is action-packed, too.


Favorite TV Relationship

This one is a three-way-tie.

Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky – Full House

Uncle Jesse - mtv

John Stamos as Uncle Jesse and Lori Loughlin as Aunt Becky. Image Credit: mtv.com

When I first discovered the show in college, I quickly fell in love with these two and their relationship. They’re silly, funny, quirky, and great parents to their boys.

Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia – Criminal Minds

Morgan and Garcia - pinterest

Image Credit: pinterest.com

Morgan and Garcia - youtube

Image Credit: youtube.com

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I love these two! They are perfect for each other.

Castle and Beckett – Castle

Castle - bustle

Image Credit: bustle.com

Castle and Beckett - tvguide

Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle and Stana Katic as Katherine “Kate” Beckett. Image Credit: tvguide.com

These two are amazing! They’ve had their challenges throughout their series, but I admire their determination.


Most Hated TV Relationship

This one was a near-tie between two of the sisters on Last Man Standing.

Last Man Standing - Kristin and Ryan - usatoday

Jordan Masterson as Ryan Vogelson and Amanda Fuller as Kristin Baxter (left and center). Image Credit: usatoday.com

Last Man Standing - Mandy and Kyle - pinterest

Molly Ephraim as Amanda “Mandy” Baxter and Christoph Sanders as Kyle Anderson. Image Credit: pinterest.com

However, the one that’s bugged me the most has been Kristin Baxter and Ryan Vogelson. I liked Kristin’s character early on, but I loathed Ryan, especially in the beginning. It made me so upset that he left Kristin when she got pregnant with their son. I can remember getting irritated as soon as Ryan came on screen in many episodes!

However, his character started to improve as the seasons have progressed. I’m still a bit leery of their relationship as a whole, but who am I to judge? They’re just characters on TV. Frankly, Kristin’s sister Mandy doesn’t treat Kyle very kindly, either!

Despite my personal opinions, I’m going to keep watching the series, in part, because of their relationships. We’ll see how this goes with the new season in fall 2016!


Show with Best Lines

Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing - netflixlife

Image Credit: netflixlife.com

I remember watching a few seasons of Home Improvement, and enjoying Tim Allen. He’s so funny! At this point, Al and I have watched every episode of Last Man Standing, and are eagerly awaiting the new season to premiere this fall. It’s a great comedy, and we’ve found ourselves quoting several lines over the years. If you haven’t watched it, we both recommend it. All seasons are currently available on Netflix.


Favorite Superhero Show

The Flash

The Flash - imdb

Image Credit: imdb.com

I’m not a huge superhero/sci-fi fan in terms of TV shows, but The Flash is the one that has stuck with me since the very first episode. It’s well-written, and the cast is great. I’m very excited for season 3 to premiere this fall!


Look for my daily posts for the rest of July, starting tomorrow!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Getting Personal #22: Movie Marathons, Revealed

quote-Priyanka-Chopra-i-adore-watching-movies-movie-marathons-are-174317 (1)

Image Credit: quotes.lifehack.org

As promised, here’s my list of Movie Marathons!

Here’s the link to the list of film genres that I used for this post: Film Site – Main Film Genres.


I’ll admit, this was a really tough post to write. It’s taken me nearly two full months to go through these genres and narrow down these lists to 3-5 movies per genre. Through this process, I also made sure to not exclusively list any full series/trilogies, although it was very tempting!

I’ve always liked movies. I’m one of those people who can watch certain movies more than once. I’m excited to watch a lot of these movies again because of this post.

Let me know what you think! Comments are always welcome, and appreciated!


Without further ado, here they are!

Action

GoldenEye (1995)

Die Hard (1988)

Batman (1989)

GoldenEye is one of my all-time favorite 007 movies. It’s probably because it’s one of the first Bond movies that I saw from beginning to end. Brosnan isn’t my favorite Bond, however. I love Sean Connery and Daniel Craig.

Bruce Willis absolutely delivers in Die Hard. And Alan Rickman – Need I say more? I’ve seen the entire series.

Batman. My first true introduction was the The Dark Knight trilogy in theaters, but this one takes the cake. I wish I could have seen this in the theaters. Michael Keaton is amazing, Jack Nicholson gave me nightmares for a while, and his Batmobile is bad-ass.

Adventure

Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

The Perfect Storm (2000)

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Apollo 13 (1995)

To me, there are only four true Star Wars movies, for now. I have seen all of them under that name, however. I can’t remember the first time I saw Episode IV, but I loved the adventurous spirit from the beginning.

For some reason, I enjoy most disaster movies. The Perfect Storm is one of my favorites. A grand adventure trying to catch fish turns tragic.

I love the Pirates series. Seeing this in high school, I wanted to sail to the Caribbean too. And Johnny Depp was the perfect choice.

I saw Apollo 13 from beginning to end for the first time about 15 years after it premiered. I’m a sucker for movies based on true stories. The casting was great too.

Comedy

Ghostbusters (1984)

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Airplane! (1980)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Coming to America (1988)

I’ve dressed up as a Ghostbuster, and I’ve been to the firehouse in New York where the movies have been filmed! One of my favorite movies, hands down. I can’t wait to show Ghostbusters to my kids.

I was skeptical of Blazing Saddles, at first. But I love Mel Brooks and his brilliant mind!

I love Leslie Nieslen, but I didn’t see Airplane! for the first time until Al and I started dating. I think we watched it together right before or right after he passed away in November 2010.

I love all of John Hughes’ movies. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is an excellent choice. Matthew Broderick is amazing!

Coming to America is another movie I hadn’t seen until Al and I got together. We watched it on a Sunday night about a year ago and I loved it. Eddie Murphy has several great movies from the 1980s and 1990s, but this is one I will watch over and over.

Crime & Gangster

JFK (1991)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Departed (2006)

This is one of Kevin Costner’s best movies. Like I said, I’m a big fan of historical movies and those based on true stories. If  you haven’t seen it, JFK is one of those that you should watch.

I’ve enjoyed most of Stephen King’s books, and Shawshank is one of the best movie adaptations.

I wasn’t sure about The Departed. I’m not a big fan of violence, but I gave this one a shot (No pun intended). It was tough to get through, but it left an impression on me.

Drama

All The President’s Men (1976)

To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

The Pelican Brief (1993)

October Sky (1999)

This was one of the toughest ones to narrow down. I’ve watched so many movies on their genre list!

Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman make a great team in All The President’s Men. Neither Al nor I had seen it before we watched it together a couple years ago, despite hearing about it. It won’t disappoint!

To Kill A Mockingbird is based on the great book. Gregory Peck is a perfect choice.

Al had not seen The Pelican Brief before we watched it together recently – A rare feat for me! John Grisham is one of my favorite authors, and he’s part of the inspiration for me studying to be a paralegal. This is one of the best movie adaptations of his books.

October Sky is based on another book, and a true story – Do you see a trend? I fell in love with Jake Gyllenhaal, and I wanted to learn more about the author’s history, having extended family from West Virginia.

Epics / Historical

Jurassic Park (1993)

The Mummy (1999)

The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

King Kong (2005)

Australia (2008)

I remember being terrified by The Lost World and Jurassic Park as a kid. Now, it’s one of my favorite movies. I even learned the theme and played it as my solo for my last high school orchestra concert.

I didn’t see The Mummy in the theaters, but I’ve seen it several times. I love Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Check it out!

It was tough to narrow down The Lord of the Rings movies – They’re all awesome. The first one is my favorite.

Some people may scoff, but I like the way King Kong turned out. It definitely has the feel of the older movies.

Australia is memorable for me because I went to see it with my friend Shelby, smack in the middle of final exams! Since then, I’ve always admired Baz Luhrmann’s movies.

Horror

Psycho (1960)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Birds (1963)

Horror movies are not my thing. These are the only three that I can think of that I have enjoyed.

Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors/producers. Psycho and The Birds were the two of his movies that truly scared me.

Just thinking of Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal gives me the creeps.

Musicals / Dance

The Blues Brothers (1980)

Grease (1978)

Footloose (1984)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Al and I dressed up as Elwood and Jake a few years ago for Halloween. I love the music and the story, even though it’s about criminals.

The music from Grease always gets me energized.

I’ve always sang along to Footloose, although I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t see the original until 2011. I enjoyed the remake as well – Al was such a good sport and went to see it with me!

Ah, Dirty Dancing. I’ve been to the resort in Virginia where it was filmed! Patrick Swayze was one of the best – May he rest in peace.

Science Fiction

E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Tron (1982)

Contact (1997)

Like Jurassic Park, I was terrified of E.T., at first. I remember my parents had a VHS copy that was black and green. I watched it – and then didn’t watch it again for years. I think I watched it again after going to Universal Studios and riding the E.T. ride.

I had never seen Tron until Al and I started dating. I really enjoyed it! We liked the reboot/sequel, too.

Same thing with Contact, but it’s one of my favorite movies now. I immediately connected the radio telescope from GoldenEye, and I fell hard after that.

War

Casablanca (1942)

Top Gun (1986)

Patriot Games (1992)

Casablanca is a classic. If you haven’t seen it, well …You should!

I always get a thrill when I see movies with our U.S. military. I’m partial to the Coast Guard, but Top Gun is one of the best with Navy pilots.

Tom Clancy was one of the best writers. Harrison Ford plays a great Jack Ryan! Patriot Games is one of my favorites.

Westerns

Maverick (1994)

Hidalgo (2004)

Back to the Future, Part III (1990)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Like many of the movies mentioned, I hadn’t seen Maverick until Al and I started dating. We watched it on TV with his parents. I’ve noticed a trend, too – I really Jodie Foster movies!

Hidalgo is one of the only Westerns I’ve seen in the theaters. It was impressive, although I was sensitive to the horse!

You may scoff, but I really like Back to the Future Part III with its Wild West theme!

My mom and I watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid together, years ago, before Paul Newman died. I’m not a huge Western fan, but this one, it’s good.


What did you think? Did one of your favorites not make the list? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

 

Getting Personal #20: Movie Marathons, and Movies In General

I noticed that Young OFW liked my recent post on Elevation Church. Whenever someone new likes one of my posts or follows my blog (Thank you!), I always click on their name / handle / WordPress ID and check out their site.

Whilst visiting his blog, I found this post:

Reading his post made me realize that I have not done any sort of post about movies! So, thank you for the inspiration!


I would have never thought to put some of these movies together. I’m excited to carve out a few weekends to try some of these!

For me, out of the movies he listed, these are the ones I have seen:

  1. Forrest Gump
  2. The Shawshank Redemption
  3. Pulp Fiction
  4. 50 First Dates
  5. The Proposal
  6. The Wedding Singer
  7. The Prestige
  8. Inception
  9. A Beautiful Mind
  10. Saving Private Ryan
  11. Schindler’s List
  12. The Departed
  13. Dazed and Confused
  14. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
  15. The Breakfast Club
  16. Interstellar
  17. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  18. Sleepless in Seattle
  19. Pretty Woman
  20. Inglourious Basterds

I loved his take. Seeing his combinations makes me want to watch these 20 movies again, and try some of the ones I haven’t seen. Some of these listed here, I’ve only seen once.


I’ve always enjoyed watching movies. My parents bought a lot of the classic Disney movies on VHS. Mom and I would go to Blockbuster once or twice a month to rent movies. The now-demolished Movies 10 in Chesapeake was where I saw George of the Jungle, Hercules, Mulan, and others. Then, Harbour View Grande 16 opened in Suffolk. My dad and I would see the newest James Bond movies in the theaters, and watch the classic ones on cable on vacation.

Then, I fell in love with a professed movie-buff, who is now my husband. Movies are one of the biggest things that we have in common. We watch the trailers online and go out at least once a month, if not more than that.

We’re known to see the same movie multiple times – Star Wars: The Force Awakens three times within two weeks, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice twice in four days.

Plus, he has Netflix and Amazon Prime, so we fill a lot of our time, in general, with movies and documentaries.


I’m currently working on my own version of Movie Marathons, partially inspired by Young OFW’s post. Check back in the next week or so for my picks for the following:

  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
  • Crime & Gangster
  • Drama
  • Epics / Historical
  • Horror
  • Musicals / Dance
  • Science Fiction
  • War
  • Westerns

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Getting Personal #19: My Bucket List

6358505699688845531579553235_bucket-list

Image Credit: theodysseyonline.com

This post was inspired by a blog that I’m loving right now:

28 and Counting …

While browsing through her posts a few weeks ago, I found this gem:

My Bucket List

She inspired me to write down my list, all in one place.

I also liked the way she categorized her list, so, here goes …


Travel Experiences

Go on a cruise as an adult.

Cruise

Image Credit: expedia.com

I’ve been fortunate to have gone on two cruises already, but the last time, I was 9-years-old. Yup. It’s beyond time to experience one as an adult. There are so many amazing places! And a cruise ship is just awesome – It has everything in one place!

Al and I have talked about going on one in the next year or so, so I think we need to pay another visit to Jody at AAA – She helped us plan our awesome honeymoon!

Visit as many of America’s national parks as possible.

download (1)

Image Credit: worldtravellist.com

This has always been a life-long dream. I’ve been fortunate to see several of the states so far, but I haven’t had the chance to see the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and others, not yet.

I did a Google search of America’s national parks recently, researching for an upcoming blog post, and I wanted to pack up and head West!

Experience Cedar Point.

thrillrides_windseeker_JAS_7320 (1)

Image Credit: cedarpoint.com

This obsession / quest started years ago. I love roller coasters! Cedar Point currently has 16 of them, and 72 rides total! I think I’ll need to stay close to the park in Sandusky, Ohio, for more than one day!

Set foot in every U.S. state.

the-united-states-of-america-map

Image Credit: geology.com

By my count, I have set foot in approximately 17 states so far, plus one Canadian province (British Columbia, 1998).

“Setting foot in” doesn’t count layovers in airports, though (Texas, that means you). I also like scarletpen’s idea of visiting every Canadian province!

Go to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica

Image Credit: travel.nationalgeographic.com

I remember writing stories as a child about adventures in the rainforest. Costa Rica is one of those places that I have dreamed of.

Go on an Alaskan cruise.

Alaska Cruise

Image Credit: princess.com

I was so jealous when my cousin Missy got to go on an Alaskan cruise with her parents and our grandparents when she was 11. Since then, I’ve always wanted to go!

Kayak in a bioluminescent bay.

6_Nature_Bio_Bay

Image Credit: puertoricotourdesk.com

I learned about this experience just a few years ago, when one of my PEO sisters recounted her travels to Puerto Rico. I enjoy kayaking, and the photos I’ve seen are just breathtaking.

Spend a week at a Disney Resort.

download (2)

Image Credit: disneyworld.disney.go.com

I’ve been to Disney World multiple times, but I’ve never stayed at any of the Disney Resorts. After seeing some of them on our honeymoon whilst traveling between Hollywood Studios and Epcot, Al and I decided that’s what we want to do, the next time we head to Orlando. The trouble is, which resort to pick?

Go to Disneyland.

Disneyland

Image Credit: disneycentre.com

I’ve been to California three times in my life, but I haven’t experienced Anaheim yet! I can’t wait to experience Disneyland, and California Adventure.

Go to Key West, Florida.

Key West

Image Credit: keywest.com

Florida has been the state that I’ve visited the most times. I think I can easily count over 100 times, since I was a baby. The perks of having both sets of grandparents live down there! Key West has been a dream of mine for a long time. My parents have visited several times, and I was envious of their pictures from a few years ago. See my friend Megan’s recap of her recent Floridian adventure!

Go to at least one amusement park in another country.

Disneyland Paris

Image Credit: thesun.co.uk

The closest I’ve gotten to this goal was seeing Disneyland Paris in 2008, and that was only their equivalent of Downtown Disney. The tickets were so expensive!

Zip line (in as many places as possible!).

Zipline Maui

Image Credit: zipline.com

Since I love roller coasters, zip-lining has been one of the top things that I’ve wanted to do. My mom has even beaten me to it! She got to zipline FIVE TIMES across a river in Canada!

Go white water rafting.

White Water

Image Credit: blueheronwhitewater.com

I wasn’t able to go on the white water rafting trips to Tennessee in high school, but I wish I had! I would love to experience this in a natural setting.

However, closer to home, there is a place in Charlotte, North Carolina called the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

Their official description on Google: “Recreation grounds with whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, rappelling, rock climbing & more.”

Yes, please!

Re-visit several places.

I could go on, and on, and on … But I definitely want to re-visit:

  1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  2. Hershey Park
  3. Chicago, Illinois
  4. Washington, D.C.
  5. Miami, Florida
  6. Los Angeles, California

And more! This particular list will continue to grow, I have no doubt. I look forward to writing many more Adventure Time posts!


Personal Development

Finish editing my three NaNoWriMo novels (2012, 2013, and 2014).

NaNoWriMo

Image Credit: nanowrimo.org

Curious about what I’ve written, so far?

Well, guess what, you’re in luck!

I did a series of blog posts, called Writing Wednesdays, that attempted to capture these three novels. There are 25 posts!

Granted, I have a long way to go with these three. The longest one, the 2014 one, currently stands at 16,000 words and some change. I want to get each of these to at least 50,000 words (the goal for NaNoWriMo) before considering publication.

Self-publish those three novels.

Self-Publishing

Image Credit: go-publish-yourself.com

Again, I need to finish those three, and then edit them.

However, I’m looking at you, Amazon, when the time is right.

Knock NaNoWriMo 2016 out of the park.

NaNoWriMo 2016

Image Credit: metrokelan.com

I already have a big idea percolating, and it’s something completely different from my first three novels. I’ve vetted it by a few VIPs of mine, and all seem to be very intrigued. Bring it on!

(Finally) Finish my paralegal studies degree.

Paralegal

Image Credit: paralegal.eku.edu

I’m SO CLOSE. I’m taking Family Law right now, online, which is going great.

The only classes I have left are Legal Research (Summer 2016), Legal Writing, and Trial Prep & Discovery.

My hope is to earn the degree some time in 2017!

Become certified with the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

AAPC

Image Credit: aapc.com

I have been interested in becoming a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) since 2013. However, I’ve done quite a bit of research over the years, and my manager has given me some great advice. I look forward to pursuing this in the next couple of years. At a minimum, I would like to be a CPC before we start having children!

Chronicle my experiences from July 2006 – July 2010.

My Story

Image Credit: sdplotts.wordpress.com

I’ve shared part of my story already, through this post: Book Review #8: Tornado Warning: A Memoir of Teen Dating Violence and its Effect on a Woman’s Life.

However, I was recently given some great advice by a good friend, Mike H., who wrote this via Facebook message: “Write that book. Even if you don’t publish it, it can be cathartic or therapeutic.”

He’s exactly right.

And I plan to do that. I already know how I want to write it.

And, eventually, I’d like to share it on the blog, as well.


Lifestyle

Find a house!

House

Image Credit: hookedonhouses.net

What a journey we’ve been on in the last year, Al and I .

We are FINALLY seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, however, and we will be getting a home of our own in 2016!

Learn new recipes.

Recipes

Image Credit: joyfulbelly.com

I enjoy cooking, so I’m on a mission to learn new recipes!

If you have any favorites, please, share!!


Make a Difference

Volunteer with Faith Works Coalition.

Faith Works

Image Credit: faithworkscoalition.org

This is something new. Our associate pastor has been involved before, and we are in the planning stages of getting our church involved. It’s exciting!

Make a blood drive happen at Tidewater Comicon.

TCC.jpg

Image Credit: tidewatercomicon.com

It may not happen this year, since the 2016 event is May 21-22 (Less than three months away!), however, it’s exciting to think about. Similar conventions in Florida have reported success, and we’d love for it to happen in Virginia Beach!


Final Thoughts

This list will continue to grow and change. However, for now, I’m very excited that I have most of my ultimate goals here, in one space.

I will be reviewing this list often, holding myself accountable!

I look forward to publishing future blog posts with accomplishments!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Commentary #14: “2016 Reading Challenge”


Challenge accepted!

I found this on Facebook a couple days ago. I’m really motivated to do this!


Here’s what I’m thinking for accomplishing this list:

A book published this year: This Is Where It Ends, Marieke Nijkamp

A book you can finish in a day: The Language of Silence, Tiffany Truitt

A book you’ve been meaning to read: Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee

A book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller: Black Rabbit Hall, Eve Chase

A book you should have read in school: Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell

A book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child, or BFF: The Red Tent, Anita Diamant (Recommended by my BFF Melissa)

A book published before you were born: The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick

A book that was banned at some point: Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller

A book you previously abandoned: The Vacationers, Emma Straub

A book you own but have never read: New Boy, Julian Houston

A book that intimidates you: The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling

A book you’ve already read at least once: The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins


Be prepared for many Book Review posts this year!

I’m probably a little too excited to be making time to read again, but, to paraphrase one of these books, I don’t give a damn. Reading is a true escape for me.

Are you doing a challenge like this?


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Commentary #11: “Keys, Cash, Passports: Nine Everyday Objects That Are About To Disappear”

Image Credit: cnn.com

Karmid Rashid, author of the CNN Style article. Image Credit: cnn.com

“I love the fact that very often the most everyday objects take on another level of importance.” ~Nick Veasey


While perusing CNN.com around the end of September (It’s part of my daily routine), this article caught my eye:

Keys, Cash, Passports: Nine Everyday Objects That Are About To Disappear

I was so intrigued by this article. I first saw it at lunchtime on a Wednesday, and I sat at my desk and read it straight through. Then, I went back and read it again.

I kept going back to it, and for me, that’s a pretty good sign I should write about something.


Here’s my take on Karmid’s list. Enjoy, and let me know what you think! I love reading your comments.

Keys and money

I find the whole fingerprint identification thing very interesting. I’ve seen it on the new smartphones, in place of typing a numerical password. That, I agree with!

However, I don’t think keys will become obsolete, at least not in the near future. I personally very much appreciate having deadbolts to lock at home and work; that makes me feel safe.

Money – Now that’s another story. I’ve watched cash, in particular, become obsolete with my own generation. For me, however, I still carry cash. I give myself a small cash allowance after every paycheck. Plus, I always get extra cash before I travel, for emergencies.

I have a ceramic bank, shaped like a frog, that I painted at a local paint-your-own-pottery place several years ago, and I enjoy filling Froggy up with coins. It’s interesting to see how much I save. Over the last few years, I’ve rolled and wrapped around $120 in change almost every year. I haven’t filled Froggy to the brim in 2015 just yet, but I think it’s gonna happen soon.

Verdict:

Keys – Not going obsolete

Money – Going obsolete, for some

Bottled water

I carry Tervis Tumblers with me wherever I go. I very rarely drink bottled water, anymore. I honestly can’t remember the last time I bought a bottle of water! We use the Brita filters at work, and there’s a pitcher in Mom and Dad’s fridge.

Verdict: Going obsolete

Passports and eyeglasses

This post is reminding me to update my passport (It’s probably been 10 years, or more, since the last update), although I’ll probably wait until I officially change my last name in about a month and a half. It’ll be easier that way.

This also reminds me of how people are going paperless with every single fucking thing, particularly travel documents. When Al and I were going through the airports back and forth to Florida in January, I was amazed at how many people used their phones to pull up their boarding passes. For me, I’ve always used paper, and I always will use paper. Seeing both the passengers and the airport security people struggle to scan the boarding passes on the phones was enough proof for me!

In terms of eyeglasses, I wear them. I also have contact lenses, but with my job requiring a computer all day long, I can only wear the contacts on the weekends. Several people I know have had LASIK surgery, and my own eye doctor thought I would be a good candidate. However, I don’t mind having my glasses and contacts. As long as I have my vision, I’m good.

In general, though, I think eyeglasses will eventually be replaced. However, given that I know so many people who use them, I don’t think it will be anytime soon.

Verdict:

Passports – Not going obsolete

Eyeglasses – Going obsolete, eventually

Parking meters

I observed this while in Richmond with Al and our friends last weekend. Instead of the traditional feed the meter with loose change, I had the option of swiping my credit card or inserting cash into this kiosk. Once I paid my $5.00, the machine spit out a receipt that I put on my dashboard that was good until 1:20 a.m.

Personally, thank goodness. I have a film canister with loose change in my car in case I run into the traditional meter, but honestly, where I live, there are far more parking garages and lots that charge more than a handful of change. We watched our wedding photographer, unfortunately, get a ticket from one of the traditional meters after our engagement photo session, but that’s the only instance that I can think of that’s happened with a traditional coin meter in recent memory.

Verdict: Going obsolete, definitely

Buttons and pockets

I agree with Karmid, in a way – I like my clothes to have a little stretch, be minimal, and be super comfortable. I see his reasoning that if keys, passports, and cash go obsolete, then there’s little need for pockets.

However, I bring in the cargo pants debate here. In the last few months, the media kind of exploded with the thought that men should ditch the cargo pants and shorts once and for all …

Not me! All of the shorts that Al owns have cargo pockets, and damn, they are the best things EVER! It’s perfect when I don’t want to bring my purse somewhere (Not often, but hey), and he holds my keys or phone that way. The perfect scenario is amusement parks! If I drive, I can give my keys, phone, and essential things from my wallet to him, and they’re safe and protected in those pockets!

And then for the ladies, it’s been nice to discover some dresses that have built-in pockets, too!

For buttons, there are days where I wish they weren’t around. I’ve had to re-sew many in my time (So fucking annoying!) There’s gotta be a better way. Zippers and those little slide doohickeys work for me; that’s why I’ve kept my black dress pants around for so long!

Verdict:

Pockets – Not going obsolete

Buttons – Not going obsolete

Furniture

Karmid’s brief explanation about this sounded completely off-the-wall, straight out of a sci-fi script.

There’s too much money in furniture for it to go obsolete, period.

Besides, furniture has been considered art for, well, forever. It can do so much for a space.

There is such a thing as too much, but it’s definitely not going away.

Personally, I’m excited to get our own house to find the perfect furniture for it!

Verdict: Not going obsolete


In response, here’s a few everyday objects that I think are going obsolete:

  1. Nail polish – I love the Jamberry nail wraps! Sure, it’s a bit more time-consuming, but they’re so pretty with the seemingly endless designs, and they last so much longer than regular mani-pedis! And, did I mention they’re cheaper?
  2. Regular soap – Good gracious. I feel like everything is anti-bacterial now. There’s so much hand sanitizer. I carry it with me, but I try to have a balance. I don’t want to kill the good germs!
  3. Printed photos – I personally love filling frames with printed photos. Nowadays, there are less cameras, and mostly phones. Most photos are stored on Facebook. I love photo canvases, but having a variety of frames is fun too.
  4. DVDs – Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube. I rest my case.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Getting Personal #8: “Top 10 Names Of Men Who Make The Best Husbands”

So, I found this image on Facebook today:

Image Credit: HOT 104.5 Facebook page

Image Credit: HOT 104.5 Facebook page

I posted it just for fun, but I got some interesting feedback as well.

So, I decided to create my own list!


For me, I wanted to cross #5 off the list automatically, because of my past. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Although, I thought it was interesting to see mostly Biblical names on this list (this is the researcher in me coming out):

  • David – Well-beloved, dear, beloved, King
  • Andrew – Manly, strong, courageous, warrior
  • Daniel – Judgement of God, God my judge
  • Paul – Small, little, humble, few, modest
  • John – The grace or mercy of the Lord, Jehovah’s gift
  • Simon – That hears, that obeys, he has heard
  • James – The Greek form of Jacob, supplanter (to take the place of another, as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like)
  • Stephen – Crown, crowned, wreath, honor, reward, that which surrounds or encompasses

Anyway … Here’s my list! Notice that it’s not numbered. “Top” lists are for ranking things, usually from best to worst, or based on number of votes.

Here, rank doesn’t apply. These are the names of men who I know will be (or already are) awesome husbands.

  • William
  • Alfred/Alphonso/Albert/Alan
  • Steven/Stephen
  • Nicholas/Nick
  • James/Jim
  • Bruce
  • Andrew/Drew
  • Justin
  • Joseph/Joe
  • Jake/Jacob
  • Jesse
  • Nathan/Nate
  • Matthew/Matt
  • Robert/Bob

Frankly, your name and/or what it means doesn’t matter.

As long as you’re a good person and you treat your spouse lovingly and with as much support as you can, that’s what counts.

Anyone can be the best husband (or best wife, best boy/girlfriend, best partner).

It’s your choice, and yours alone.


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Quarterly Review #4

Is it really the end of the year? 2014 just FLEW BY!

This is last Quarterly Review (QR)!


14 Goals for 2014

1. Balance checkbook every month

2. Complete the 52-week savings challenge

3. Donate to Goodwill once a month

4. Find & make 14 new recipes

5. Finish 2012 novel

6. Finish 2013 novel

7. Invest in pastel painting / artwork

8. Map routes in neighborhood to walk / run / rollerblade

9. Read at least 5 new books

10. Reduce screen time

11. Take a Medical Terminology class

12. Take iron pill every day

13. Walk 20 minutes during lunch

14. Yoga


1. QR: COMPLETE! I’m so happy to have caught up with my finances!

2. QR: COMPLETE! I saved so much money this year!!!

3. QR: COMPLETE! Although I’m planning to lock myself in my bedroom this coming weekend, and not come out until the closet is clean and all the random boxes are gone 🙂

4. QR: COMPLETE! This was such a fun challenge. I plan to keep this going in the years to come 🙂

5. QR: This didn’t happen this year. But that’s okay, because next week ushers in a new series of blog posts related to this!

6. QR: See #5.

7. QR: This didn’t happen exactly the way I had hoped this year. However, I made a bunch of wreaths, and I love that!

8. QR: This didn’t happen exactly the way I had hoped, but the FitBit is still awesome!

9. QR: COMPLETE! It took me down to the very wire, but I did it!

10. QR: I’m getting better at this! Continuing to work on this in the New Year 🙂

11. QR: COMPLETE! I got a 95 on my midterm exam in October! I maintained an A average in the class, so that made me exempt from the final exam. I got an A in the class!!

Photo Credit: http://www.123rf.com/

Image Credit: http://www.123rf.com/

12. QR: This didn’t work out as planned. Still having issues with consistency. However, I’ve been able to donate blood in October and December, so I must be doing something right!

13. QR: This didn’t work out as planned, mainly because of the up-and-down weather! I’ve definitely been more creative in this department, though. Planning to take more and more steps in 2015!

14. QR: This didn’t work out as planned, but I thoroughly enjoy and look forward my meditation times in the mornings and evenings while I’m in my bed 🙂


This exercise was great for me this year. My parents were especially complimentary and shared it with many people.

With that said, I’m not going to do this again for 2015. I just want to focus on the year ahead. There are so many wonderful things, already, to look forward to:

  • Al and I celebrating our engagement
  • Al and I getting married
  • Al and I buying our first home together
  • Visits and reunions with wonderful friends
  • Traveling and having amazing adventures with great people
  • Reading more books
  • Seeing family, some for the first time in YEARS, as a result of the wedding
  • Getting at least two tattoos
  • Getting closer to receiving my Paralegal Studies degree
  • Continuing to write on this blog
  • Making progress on my three novels
  • Helping others
  • Being Laura Beth
Image Credit: moviepilot.com

Image Credit: moviepilot.com

Happy New Year to all my readers – Thank you for making this year one of the best!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

 

Quarterly Review #3

I’m getting a little better about posting these QRs in a timely fashion!

I give you QR #3 🙂


14 Goals for 2014

1. Balance checkbook every month

2. Complete the 52-week savings challenge

3. Donate to Goodwill once a month

4. Find & make 14 new recipes

5. Finish 2012 novel

6. Finish 2013 novel

7. Invest in pastel painting / artwork

8. Map routes in neighborhood to walk / run / rollerblade

9. Read at least 5 new books

10. Reduce screen time

11. Take a Medical Terminology class

12. Take iron pill every day

13. Walk 20 minutes during lunch

14. Yoga


1. QR: COMPLETE!

2. QR: COMPLETE!

3. QR: I’ve been donating when I fill at least two weeks. It’s nice to have a Goodwill literally a block away from my office! Oh, and that overhaul weekend I mentioned in the last review? Hasn’t happened yet. However, my bedroom is far cleaner and much more organized than it used to be (i.e., I can see a lot of the floor now!), so I’m happy with where I am, almost six months into being back home.

4. QR: Loving this challenge. I joined this group training thingy at the gym over the summer called FIT360 (Functional Intense Training), and they had a Nutrition Panel in August. I got a free cookbook out of it! Al and I made the shrimp scampi out of the book for our anniversary dinner, and it was AMAZING!

5. QR: Haven’t started, and I’m bummed about it! I am excited for November though, because I’ve already outlined what I want my novel to be. I hope to take some time over Christmas break and finish my previous ones.

6. QR: See #5.

7. QR: Work in progress. I’ve made several more wreaths for friends’ weddings, and I have several more to finish. I’m very pleased with the ones that I have made so far. I hope to feature them in a post at the end of the year 🙂

8. QR: My FitBit rocks! I think this is one of the best gifts that Al has ever given me!

Courtesy: fitbit.com

9. QR: Trying to finish book #5 soon!

10. QR: Work in progress. I rarely watch TV at Mom and Dad’s anymore, and I’m getting better about turning off the iPhone and computer before bed. I actually read a couple of magazines to help me fall asleep recently, rather than using music or something on YouTube to lull me to sleep.

11. QR: Intro to Med Terminology is going well so far – I think I have a mid-B in the class at the moment! I am taking my midterm on Friday morning, so wish me luck! I am feeling more confident with the material as each week passes – I can’t believe the semester is already half over! I also plan to register for the my coding certification course next month 🙂

12. QR: I have really struggled with this one. Pills and Laura Beth don’t mix well, at all. I’m going to try to give blood again this evening at a church near my office!

13. QR: Work in progress. I’m especially motivated this month because my company is offering prizes for the employees who log the most steps in October! This weekend was fantastic I logged over 11,000 steps on Saturday alone! This was mainly because of dancing and having a blast at Amanda and Dan’s fabulous wedding at the Chrysler Museum of Art, but I’ll take what I can get!

14. QR: I haven’t committed to a yoga class at the gym, but I’m taking more time to meditate in the mornings and evenings, when I first wake up and when I get ready to go to sleep at night. Deep breathing alone is doing wonders for me!


Look for one more review in December.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂